Тень над Иннсмутом

           Canitbepossiblethatthisplanethasactuallyspawnedsuchthings;thathumaneyeshavetrulyseen,asobjectiveflesh,whatmanhashithertoknownonlyinfebrilephantasyandtenuouslegend?

           AndyetIsawtheminalimitlessstream—flopping,hopping,croaking,bleating—urginginhumanlythroughthespectralmoonlightinagrotesque,malignantsarabandoffantasticnightmare.Andsomeofthemhadtalltiarasofthatnamelesswhitish-goldmetal...andsomewerestrangelyrobed...andone,wholedtheway,wascladinaghoulishlyhumpedblackcoatandstripedtrousers,andhadaman’sfelthatperchedontheshapelessthingthatansweredforahead.

           Ithinktheirpredominantcolourwasagreyish-green,thoughtheyhadwhitebellies.Theyweremostlyshinyandslippery,buttheridgesoftheirbackswerescaly.Theirformsvaguelysuggestedtheanthropoid,whiletheirheadsweretheheadsoffish,withprodigiousbulgingeyesthatneverclosed.Atthesidesoftheirneckswerepalpitatinggills,andtheirlongpawswerewebbed.Theyhoppedirregularly,sometimesontwolegsandsometimesonfour.Iwassomehowgladthattheyhadnomorethanfourlimbs.Theircroaking,bayingvoices,clearlyusedforarticulatespeech,heldallthedarkshadesofexpressionwhichtheirstaringfaceslacked.888

           Butforalloftheirmonstrousnesstheywerenotunfamiliartome