IX

           Ihavesaidthatourstudyofthedecadentsculpturesbroughtaboutachangeinourimmediateobjective. This,ofcourse,hadtodowiththechiseledavenuestotheblackinnerworld,ofwhoseexistencewehadnotknownbefore,butwhichwewerenoweagertofindandtraverse. Fromtheevidentscaleofthecarvingswededucedthatasteeplydescendingwalkofaboutamilethrougheitheroftheneighboringtunnelswouldbringustothebrinkofthedizzy,sunlesscliffsaboutthegreatabyss;downwhosesidespaths,improvedbytheOldOnes,ledtotherockyshoreofthehiddenandnightedocean. Tobeholdthisfabulousgulfinstarkrealitywasalurewhichseemedimpossibleofresistanceonceweknewofthething—yetwerealizedwemustbeginthequestatonceifweexpectedtoincludeitinourpresenttrip. 

           Itwasnow8P.M.,andwedidnothaveenoughbatteryreplacementstoletourtorchesburnonforever. Wehaddonesomuchstudyingandcopyingbelowtheglaciallevelthatourbatterysupplyhadhadatleastfivehoursofnearlycontinuoususe,anddespitethespecialdrycellformula,wouldobviouslybegoodforonlyaboutfourmore —thoughbykeepingonetorchunused,exceptforespeciallyinterestingordifficultplaces,wemightmanagetoekeoutasafemarginbeyondthat. ItwouldnotdotobewithoutalightintheseCyclopeancatacombs,henceinordertomaketheabysstripwemustgiveupallfurthermuraldeciphering. Ofcourseweintendedtorevisittheplacefordaysandperhapsweeksofintensivestudyandphotography—curiosityhavinglongagogotthebetterofhorror—butjustnowwemusthasten. 

           Oursupplyoftrail-blazingpaperwasfarfromunlimited,andwewerereluctanttosacrificesparenotebooksorsketchingpapertoaugmentit,butwedidletonelargenotebookgo.