XXII
- THE DARK NEBULA
Years
melted into the past, centuries, aeons. The light of the incandescent star,
sank to a furious red.
It was later, that I saw the dark
nebula - at first, an impalpable cloud, away to my right. It grew, steadily, to
a clot of blackness in the night. How long I watched, it is impossible to say;
for time, as we count it, was a thing of the past. It came closer, a shapeless
monstrosity of darkness - tremendous. It seemed to slip across the night,
sleepily - a very hell-fog. Slowly, it slid nearer, and passed into the void,
between me and the Central Suns. It was as though a curtain had been drawn
before my vision. A strange tremor of fear took me, and a fresh sense of
wonder.
The
green twilight that had reigned for so many millions of years, had now given
place to impenetrable gloom. Motionless, I peered about me. A century fled, and
it seemed to me that I detected occasional dull glows of red, passing me at
intervals.
Earnestly,
I gazed, and, presently, seemed to see circular masses, that showed muddily
red, within the clouded blackness. They appeared to be growing out of the
nebulous murk. Awhile, and they became plainer to my accustomed vision. I could
see them, now, with a fair amount of distinctness - ruddy-tinged spheres,
similar, in size, to the luminous globes that I had seen, so long previously.
They
floated past me, continually. Gradually, a peculiar uneasiness seized me. I
became aware of a growing feeling of repugnance and dread. It was directed
against those passing orbs, and seemed born of intuitive knowledge, rather than
of any real cause or reason.
Some
of the passing globes were brighter than others; and, it was from one of these,
that a face looked, suddenly. A face, human in its outline; but so tortured
with woe, that I stared, aghast. I had not thought there was such sorrow, as I
saw there. I was conscious of an added sense of pain, on perceiving that the
eyes, which glared so wildly, were sightless. A while longer, I saw it; then it
had passed on, into the surrounding gloom. After this, I saw others - all
wearing that look of hopeless sorrow; and blind.
A
long time went by, and I became aware that I was nearer to the orbs, than I had
been. At this, I grew uneasy; though I was less in fear of those strange
globules, than I had been, before seeing their sorrowful inhabitants; for
sympathy had tempered my fear.
Later,
there was no doubt but that I was being carried closer to the red spheres, and,
presently, I floated among them. In awhile, I perceived one bearing down upon
me. I was helpless to move from its path. In a minute, it seemed, it was upon
me, and I was submerged in a deep red mist. This cleared, and I stared,
confusedly, across the immense breadth of the Plain of Silence. It appeared
just as I had first seen it. I was moving forward, steadily, across its
surface. Away ahead, shone the vast, blood-red ring (15) that lit the place.
All around, was spread the extraordinary desolation of stillness, that had so
impressed me during my previous wanderings across its starkness.
Presently,
I saw, rising up into the ruddy gloom, the distant peaks of the mighty
amphitheatre of mountains, where, untold ages before, I had been shown my first
glimpse of the terrors that underlie many things; and where, vast and silent,
watched by a thousand mute gods, stands the replica of this house of mysteries
- this house that I had seen swallowed up in that hell-fire, ere the earth had
kissed the sun, and vanished for ever.
Though
I could see the crests of the mountain-amphitheatre, yet it was a great while
before their lower portions became visible. Possibly, this was due to the
strange, ruddy haze, that seemed to cling to the surface of the Plain. However,
be this as it may, I saw them at last.
In
a still further space of time, I had come so close to the mountains, that they
appeared to overhang me. Presently, I saw the great rift, open before me, and I
drifted into it; without volition on my part.
Later,
I came out upon the breadth of the enormous arena. There, at an apparent
distance of some five miles, stood the House, huge, monstrous and silent - lying
in the very center of that stupendous amphitheatre. So far as I could see, it
had not altered in any way; but looked as though it were only yesterday that I
had seen it. Around, the grim, dark mountains frowned down upon me from their
lofty silences.
Far
to my right, away up among inaccessible peaks, loomed the enormous bulk of the
great Beast-god. Higher, I saw the hideous form of the dread goddess, rising up
through the red gloom, thousands of fathoms above me. To the left, I made out
the monstrous Eyeless-Thing, grey and inscrutable. Further off, reclining on its
lofty ledge, the livid Ghoul-Shape showed - a splash of sinister color, among
the dark mountains.
Slowly,
I moved out across the great arena - floating. As I went, I made out the dim
forms of many of the other lurking Horrors that peopled those supreme heights.
Gradually,
I neared the House, and my thoughts flashed back across the abyss of years. I
remembered the dread Specter of the Place. A short while passed, and I saw that
I was being wafted directly toward the enormous mass of that silent building.
About
this time, I became aware, in an indifferent sort of way, of a growing sense of
numbness, that robbed me of the fear, which I should otherwise have felt, on
approaching that awesome Pile. As it was, I viewed it, calmly - much as a man
views calamity through the haze of his tobacco smoke.
In
a little while, I had come so close to the House, as to be able to distinguish
many of the details about it. The longer I looked, the more was I confirmed in
my long-ago impressions of its entire similitude to this strange house. Save in
its enormous size, I could find nothing unlike.
Suddenly,
as I stared, a great feeling of amazement filled me. I had come opposite to
that part, where the outer door, leading into the study, is situated. There,
lying right across the threshold, lay a great length of coping stone, identical
- save in size and color - with the piece I had dislodged in my fight with the
Pit-creatures.
I
floated nearer, and my astonishment increased, as I noted that the door was
broken partly from its hinges, precisely in the manner that my study door had
been forced inward, by the assaults of the Swine-things. The sight started a
train of thoughts, and I began to trace, dimly, that the attack on this house,
might have a far deeper significance than I had, hitherto, imagined. I
remembered how, long ago, in the old earth-days, I had half suspected that, in
some unexplainable manner, this house, in which I live, was en rapport - to use
a recognized term - with that other tremendous structure, away in the midst of
that incomparable Plain.
Now,
however, it began to be borne upon me, that I had but vaguely conceived what
the realization of my suspicion meant. I began to understand, with a more than
human clearness, that the attack I had repelled, was, in some extraordinary
manner, connected with an attack upon that strange edifice.
With
a curious inconsequence, my thoughts abruptly left the matter; to dwell,
wonderingly, upon the peculiar material, out of which the House was
constructed. It was - as I have mentioned, earlier - of a deep, green color.
Yet, now that I had come so close to it, I perceived that it fluctuated at
times, though slightly - glowing and fading, much as do the fumes of
phosphorus, when rubbed upon the hand, in the dark.
Presently,
my attention was distracted from this, by coming to the great entrance. Here,
for the first time, I was afraid; for, all in a moment, the huge doors swung
back, and I drifted in between them, helplessly. Inside, all was blackness,
impalpable. In an instant, I had crossed the threshold, and the great doors
closed, silently, shutting me in that lightless place.
For
a while, I seemed to hang, motionless; suspended amid the darkness. Then, I
became conscious that I was moving again; where, I could not tell. Suddenly,
far down beneath me, I seemed to hear a murmurous noise of Swine-laughter. It
sank away, and the succeeding silence appeared clogged with horror.
Then
a door opened somewhere ahead; a white haze of light filtered through, and I
floated slowly into a room, that seemed strangely familiar. All at once, there
came a bewildering, screaming noise, that deafened me. I saw a blurred vista of
visions, flaming before my sight. My senses were dazed, through the space of an
eternal moment. Then, my power of seeing, came back to me. The dizzy, hazy
feeling passed, and I saw, clearly.
XXIII
- PEPPER
I
was seated in my chair, back again in this old study. My glance wandered 'round
the room. For a minute, it had a strange, quivery appearance - unreal and
unsubstantial. This disappeared, and I saw that nothing was altered in any way.
I looked toward the end window - the blind was up.
I
rose to my feet, shakily. As I did so, a slight noise, in the direction of the
door, attracted my attention. I glanced toward it. For a short instant, it
appeared to me that it was being closed, gently. I stared, and saw that I must
have been mistaken - it seemed closely shut.
With
a succession of efforts, I trod my way to the window, and looked out. The sun
was just rising, lighting up the tangled wilderness of gardens. For, perhaps, a
minute, I stood, and stared. I passed my hand, confusedly, across my forehead.
Presently,
amid the chaos of my senses, a sudden thought came to me; I turned, quickly,
and called to Pepper. There was no answer, and I stumbled across the room, in a
quick access of fear. As I went, I tried to frame his name; but my lips were
numb. I reached the table, and stooped down to him, with a catching at my
heart. He was lying in the shadow of the table, and I had not been able to see
him, distinctly, from the window. Now, as I stooped, I took my breath, shortly.
There was no Pepper; instead, I was reaching toward an elongated, little heap
of grey, ashlike dust...
I
must have remained, in that half-stooped position, for some minutes. I was
dazed - stunned. Pepper had really passed into the land of shadows.
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