Хребты безумия
X
Sincewecouldnotaffordtospendanyconsiderabletimeinstudy,weresumedouradvanceafteracursorylook;thoughfrequentlycastingbeamsoverthewallstoseeifanyfurtherdecorativechangesdeveloped. Nothingofthesortwasperceived,thoughthecarvingswereinplacesrathersparsebecauseofthenumerousmouthsofsmooth-flooredlateraltunnels. Wesawandheardfewerpenguins,butthoughtwecaughtavaguesuspicionofaninfinitelydistantchorusofthemsomewheredeepwithintheearth. Thenewandinexplicableodorwasabominablystrong,andwecoulddetectscarcelyasignofthatothernamelessscent. Puffsofvisiblevaporaheadbespokeincreasingcontrastsintemperature,andtherelativenearnessofthesunlessseacliffsofthegreatabyss. Then,quiteunexpectedly,wesawcertainobstructionsonthepolishedfloorahead—obstructionswhichwerequitedefinitelynotpenguins—andturnedonoursecondtorchaftermakingsurethattheobjectswerequitestationary.
