Тень над Иннсмутом

           ThenIwouldloafnearthefirestationinapparentcasualness,andfallinwitholdZadokafterhehadstartedononeofhisfrequentrambles.Theyouthhadsaidthathewasveryrestless,seldomsittingaroundthestationformorethananhourortwoatatime.

           Aquartbottleofwhiskeywaseasily,thoughnotcheaply,obtainedintherearofadingyvariety-storejustofftheSquareinEliotStreet.Thedirty-lookingfellowwhowaitedonmehadatouchofthestaring"Innsmouthlook",butwasquitecivilinhisway;beingperhapsusedtothecustomofsuchconvivialstrangers—truckmen,gold-buyers,andthelike—aswereoccasionallyintown.

           ReenteringtheSquareIsawthatluckwaswithme;for—shufflingoutofPaineStreetaroundthecorneroftheGilmanHouse—Iglimpsednothinglessthanthetall,lean,tatteredformofoldZadokAllenhimself.Inaccordancewithmyplan,Iattractedhisattentionbybrandishingmynewly-purchasedbottle:andsoonrealisedthathehadbeguntoshufflewistfullyaftermeasIturnedintoWaiteStreetonmywaytothemostdesertedregionIcouldthinkof.

           Iwassteeringmycoursebythemapthegroceryboyhadprepared,andwasaimingforthewhollyabandonedstretchofsouthernwaterfrontwhichIhadpreviouslyvisited.Theonlypeopleinsighttherehadbeenthefishermenonthedistantbreakwater;andbygoingafewsquaressouthIcouldgetbeyondtherangeofthese,findingapairofseatsonsomeabandonedwharfandbeingfreetoquestionoldZadokunobservedforanindefinitetime.