Зов Ктулху
The Tale of Inspector Legrasse
Ididnotenlargehisknowledgeinthisregard,butsoughtwithsomesubtletytodrawhimout. InashorttimeIbecameconvincedofhisabsolutesincerity,forhespokeofthedreamsinamannernonecouldmistake. Theyandtheirsubconsciousresiduumhadinfluencedhisartprofoundly,andheshewedmeamorbidstatuewhosecontoursalmostmademeshakewiththepotencyofitsblacksuggestion. Hecouldnotrecallhavingseentheoriginalofthisthingexceptinhisowndreambas-relief,buttheoutlineshadformedthemselvesinsensiblyunderhishands. Itwas,nodoubt,thegiantshapehehadravedofindelirium. Thathereallyknewnothingofthehiddencult,savefromwhatmyuncle’srelentlesscatechismhadletfall,hesoonmadeclear;andagainIstrovetothinkofsomewayinwhichhecouldpossiblyhavereceivedtheweirdimpressions.
Hetalkedofhisdreamsinastrangelypoeticfashion; makingmeseewithterriblevividnessthedampCyclopeancityofslimygreenstone—whosegeometry,heoddlysaid,wasallwrong—andhearwithfrightenedexpectancytheceaseless,half-mentalcallingfromunderground: "Cthulhufhtagn","Cthulhufhtagn". ThesewordshadformedpartofthatdreadritualwhichtoldofdeadCthulhu’sdream-vigilinhisstonevaultatR’lyeh,andIfeltdeeplymoveddespitemyrationalbeliefs. Wilcox,Iwassure,hadheardofthecultinsomecasualway,andhadsoonforgottenitamidstthemassofhisequallyweirdreadingandimagining. Later,byvirtueofitssheerimpressiveness,ithadfoundsubconsciousexpressionindreams,inthebas-relief,andintheterriblestatueInowbeheld; sothathisimpostureuponmyunclehadbeenaveryinnocentone. Theyouthwasofatype,atonceslightlyaffectedandslightlyill-mannered,whichIcouldneverlike,butIwaswillingenoughnowtoadmitbothhisgeniusandhishonesty. Itookleaveofhimamicably,andwishhimallthesuccesshistalentpromises.
