Погребённый с фараонами
Chapter 1
ButIamquitesurethatIpreservedalogicalconsciousnessthatfar;thatatleastIdidnotaddanyfullgrownphantomsofimaginationtoapicturehideousenoughinitsreality, andexplicablebyatypeofcerebralillusionvastlyshortofactualhallucination.
Allthiswasnotthecauseofmyfirstbitoffainting. Theshockingordealwascumulative,andthebeginningofthelaterterrorswasaveryperceptibleincreaseinmyrateofdescent. Theywerepayingoutthatinfinitelylongropeveryswiftlynow,andIscrapedcruellyagainsttheroughandconstrictedsidesoftheshaftasIshotmadlydownward. Myclothingwasintatters,andIfeltthetrickleofbloodallover,evenabovethemountingandexcruciatingpain. Mynostrils,too,wereassailedbyascarcelydefinablemenace:acreepingodorofdampandstalenesscuriouslyunlikeanythingIhadeversmelledbefore, andhavingfaintovertonesofspiceandincensethatlentanelementofmockery.
Thenthementalcataclysmcame. Itwashorrible—hideousbeyondallarticulatedescriptionbecauseitwasallofthesoul,withnothingofdetailtodescribe. Itwastheecstasyofnightmareandthesummationofthefiendish.
