Зов Ктулху
The Tale of Inspector Legrasse
ProfessorAngell’sinstantstartonaninvestigationoftheutmostthoroughnesswaseminentlynatural; thoughprivatelyIsuspectedyoungWilcoxofhavingheardofthecultinsomeindirectway,andofhavinginventedaseriesofdreamstoheightenandcontinuethemysteryatmyuncle’sexpense. Thedream-narrativesandcuttingscollectedbytheprofessorwere,ofcourse,strongcorroboration; buttherationalismofmymindandtheextravaganceofthewholesubjectledmetoadoptwhatIthoughtthemostsensibleconclusions. So,afterthoroughlystudyingthemanuscriptagainandcorrelatingthetheosophicalandanthropologicalnoteswiththecultnarrativeofLegrasse, ImadeatriptoProvidencetoseethesculptorandgivehimtherebukeIthoughtproperforsoboldlyimposinguponalearnedandagedman.
WilcoxstilllivedaloneintheFleur-de-LysBuildinginThomasStreet,ahideousVictorianimitationofseventeenth-centuryBretonarchitecturewhichflauntsitsstuccoedfrontamidstthelovelycolonialhousesontheancienthill,andundertheveryshadowofthefinestGeorgiansteepleinAmerica, Ifoundhimatworkinhisrooms,andatonceconcededfromthespecimensscatteredaboutthathisgeniusisindeedprofoundandauthentic. Hewill,Ibelieve,sometimebeheardfromasoneofthegreatdecadents;forhehascrystallisedinclayandwillonedaymirrorinmarblethosenightmaresandphantasieswhichArthurMachenevokesinprose,andClarkAshtonSmithmakesvisibleinverseandinpainting.
Dark,frail,andsomewhatunkemptinaspect,heturnedlanguidlyatmyknockandaskedmemybusinesswithoutrising. WhenItoldhimwhoIwas,hedisplayedsomeinterest; formyunclehadexcitedhiscuriosityinprobinghisstrangedreams,yethadneverexplainedthereasonforthestudy.
