Гипноз

           Theyweresensations,yetwithinthemlayunbelievableelementsoftimeandspace—thingswhichatbottompossessnodistinctanddefiniteexistence. Humanutterancecanbestconveythegeneralcharacterofourexperiencesbycallingthemplungingsorsoarings; forineveryperiodofrevelationsomepartofourmindsbrokeboldlyawayfromallthatisrealandpresent,rushingaeriallyalongshocking,unlighted,andfear-hauntedabysses,andoccasionallytearingthroughcertainwell-markedandtypicalobstaclesdescribableonlyasviscous,uncouthcloudsofvapors. 

           Intheseblackandbodilessflightsweweresometimesaloneandsometimestogether. Whenweweretogether,myfriendwasalwaysfarahead; Icouldcomprehendhispresencedespitetheabsenceofformbyaspeciesofpictorialmemorywherebyhisfaceappearedtome, goldenfromastrangelightandfrightfulwithitsweirdbeauty,itsanomalouslyyouthfulcheeks,itsburningeyes,itsOlympianbrow,anditsshadowinghairandgrowthofbeard. 

           Oftheprogressoftimewekeptnorecord,fortimehadbecometousthemerestillusion. Iknowonlythattheremusthavebeensomethingverysingularinvolved,sincewecameatlengthtomarvelwhywedidnotgrowold. Ourdiscoursewasunholy,andalwayshideouslyambitious—nogodordemoncouldhaveaspiredtodiscoveriesandconquestlikethosewhichweplannedinwhispers. IshiverasIspeakofthem,anddarenotbeexplicit; thoughIwillsaythatmyfriendoncewroteonpaperawishwhichhedarednotutterwithhistongue,andwhichmademeburnthepaperandlookaffrightedlyoutofthewindowatthespanglednightsky. Iwillhint—onlyhint—thathehaddesignswhichinvolvedtherulershipofthevisibleuniverseandmore; designswherebytheearthandthestarswouldmoveathiscommand,andthedestiniesofalllivingthingsbehis.