Хребты безумия
XII
Theskyabovewasachurningandopalescentmassoftenuousice-vapors,andthecoldclutchedatourvitals. Wearilyrestingtheoutfit-bagstowhichwehadinstinctivelyclungthroughoutourdesperateflight,werebuttonedourheavygarmentsforthestumblingclimbdownthemoundandthewalkthroughtheaeon-oldstonemazetothefoothillswhereouraeroplanewaited. Ofwhathadsetusfleeingfromthatdarknessofearth’ssecretandarchaicgulfswesaidnothingatall.
Inlessthanaquarterofanhourwehadfoundthesteepgradetothefoothills—theprobableancientterrace—bywhichwehaddescended,andcouldseethedarkbulkofourgreatplaneamidstthesparseruinsontherisingslopeahead. Halfwayuphilltowardourgoalwepausedforamomentarybreathingspell,andturnedtolookagainatthefantastictangleofincrediblestoneshapesbelowus—oncemoreoutlinedmysticallyagainstanunknownwest. Aswedidsowesawthattheskybeyondhadlostitsmorninghaziness;therestlessice-vaporshavingmoveduptothezenith,wheretheirmockingoutlinesseemedonthepointofsettlingintosomebizarrepatternwhichtheyfearedtomakequitedefiniteorconclusive.
Therenowlayrevealedontheultimatewhitehorizonbehindthegrotesquecityadim,elfinlineofpinnacledvioletwhoseneedle-pointedheightsloomeddreamlikeagainstthebeckoningrosecolorofthewesternsky. Uptowardthisshimmeringrimslopedtheancienttable-land,thedepressedcourseofthebygonerivertraversingitasanirregularribbonofshadow. Forasecondwegaspedinadmirationofthescene’sunearthlycosmicbeauty,andthenvaguehorrorbegantocreepintooursouls.
