Тень над Иннсмутом

           Hisagewasperhapsthirty-five,buttheodd,deepcreasesinthesidesofhisneckmadehimseemolderwhenonedidnotstudyhisdull,expressionlessface.Hehadanarrowhead,bulging,watery-blueeyesthatseemednevertowink,aflatnose,arecedingforeheadandchin,andsingularlyundevelopedears.Hislongthicklipandcoarse-pored,greyishcheeksseemedalmostbeardlessexceptforsomesparseyellowhairsthatstraggledandcurledinirregularpatches;andinplacesthesurfaceseemedqueerlyirregular,asifpeelingfromsomecutaneousdisease.Hishandswerelargeandheavilyveined,andhadaveryunusualgreyish-bluetinge.Thefingerswerestrikinglyshortinproportiontotherestofthestructure,andseemedtohaveatendencytocurlcloselyintothehugepalm.AshewalkedtowardthebusIobservedhispeculiarlyshamblinggaitandsawthathisfeetwereinordinatelyimmense.ThemoreIstudiedthemthemoreIwonderedhowhecouldbuyanyshoestofitthem.

           Acertaingreasinessaboutthefellowincreasedmydislike.Hewasevidentlygiventoworkingorloungingaroundthefishdocks,andcarriedwithhimmuchoftheircharacteristicsmell.JustwhatforeignbloodwasinhimIcouldnotevenguess.HisodditiescertainlydidnotlookAsiatic,Polynesian,Levantineornegroid,yetIcouldseewhythepeoplefoundhimalien.Imyselfwouldhavethoughtofbiologicaldegenerationratherthanalienage.

           IwassorrywhenIsawtherewouldbenootherpassengersonthebus.SomehowIdidnotliketheideaofridingalonewiththisdriver.ButasleavingtimeobviouslyapproachedIconqueredmyqualmsandfollowedthemanaboard,extendinghimadollarbillandmurmuringthesingleword"Innsmouth."