Хребты безумия
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Pabodiemighthavebeenabletotellwhatsortofengineeringhelditinplace,butDanforthandIcouldmerelyadmireandmarvel. Wecouldseemightystonecorbelsandpillarshereandthere,butwhatwesawseemedinadequatetothefunctionperformed. Thethingwasexcellentlypreserveduptothepresenttopofthetower—ahighlyremarkablecircumstanceinviewofitsexposure—anditsshelterhaddonemuchtoprotectthebizarreanddisturbingcosmicsculpturesonthewalls.
Aswesteppedoutintotheawesomehalfdaylightofthismonstrouscylinderbottom—fiftymillionyearsold,andwithoutdoubtthemostprimallyancientstructureevertomeetoureyes—wesawthattheramp-traversedsidesstretcheddizzilyuptoaheightoffullysixtyfeet. This,werecalledfromouraerialsurvey,meantanoutsideglaciationofsomefortyfeet;sincetheyawninggulfwehadseenfromtheplanehadbeenatthetopofanapproximatelytwenty-footmoundofcrumbledmasonry,somewhatshelteredforthree-fourthsofitscircumferencebythemassivecurvingwallsofalineofhigherruins. Accordingtothesculptures,theoriginaltowerhadstoodinthecenterofanimmensecircularplaza,andhadbeenperhapsfivehundredorsixhundredfeethigh,withtiersofhorizontaldisksnearthetop,andarowofneedlelikespiresalongtheupperrim. Mostofthemasonryhadobviouslytoppledoutwardratherthaninward—afortunatehappening,sinceotherwisetherampmighthavebeenshatteredandthewholeinteriorchoked. Asitwas,therampshowedsadbattering;whilstthechokingwassuchthatallthearchwaysatthebottomseemedtohavebeenrecentlycleared.
Ittookusonlyamomenttoconcludethatthiswasindeedtheroutebywhichthoseothershaddescended,andthatthiswouldbethelogicalrouteforourownascentdespitethelongtrailofpaperwehadleftelsewhere. Thetower’smouthwasnofartherfromthefoothillsandourwaitingplanethanwasthegreatterracedbuildingwehadentered,andanyfurthersubglacialexplorationwemightmakeonthistripwouldlieinthisgeneralregion.
