Хребты безумия
XI
Fromeachonethetentacledstarfishheadhadbeenremoved;andaswedrewnearwesawthatthemannerofremovallookedmorelikesomehellishtearingorsuctionthanlikeanyordinaryformofcleavage. Theirnoisomedark-greenichorformedalarge,spreadingpool;butitsstenchwashalfovershadowedbythenewerandstrangerstench,heremorepungentthanatanyotherpointalongourroute. Onlywhenwehadcomeveryclosetothesprawlingobstructionscouldwetracethatsecond,unexplainablefetortoanyimmediatesource —andtheinstantwedidsoDanforth,rememberingcertainveryvividsculpturesoftheOldOnes’historyinthePermianAgeonehundredandfiftymillionyearsago,gaveventtoanerve-torturedcrywhichechoedhystericallythroughthatvaultedandarchaicpassagewiththeevil,palimpsestcarvings.
Icameonlyjustshortofechoinghiscrymyself;forIhadseenthoseprimalsculptures,too,andhadshudderinglyadmiredthewaythenamelessartisthadsuggestedthathideousslimecoatingfoundoncertainincompleteandprostrateOldOnes—thosewhomthefrightfulShoggothshadcharacteristicallyslainandsuckedtoaghastlyheadlessnessinthegreatwarofresubjugation. Theywereinfamous,nightmaresculpturesevenwhentellingofage-old,bygonethings;forShoggothsandtheirworkoughtnottobeseenbyhumanbeingsorportrayedbyanybeings. ThemadauthoroftheNecronomiconhadnervouslytriedtoswearthatnonehadbeenbredonthisplanet,andthatonlydruggeddreamershadevenconceivedthem. Formlessprotoplasmabletomockandreflectallformsandorgansandprocesses —viscousagglutinationsofbubblingcells—rubberyfifteen-footspheroidsinfinitelyplasticandductile—slavesofsuggestion,buildersofcities—moreandmoresullen,moreandmoreintelligent,moreandmoreamphibious,moreandmoreimitative!
