The Shadow Over Innsmouth - H. P. Lovecraft (best fiction books to read TXT) š
- Author: H. P. Lovecraft
- Performer: 0590045431
Book online Ā«The Shadow Over Innsmouth - H. P. Lovecraft (best fiction books to read TXT) šĀ». Author H. P. Lovecraft
āEverybody got aout oā the idee oā dyinā - excepā in canoe wars with the other islanders, or as sacrifices to the sea-gods daown below, or from snakebite or plague or sharp gallopinā ailments or somethinā afore they cud take to the water - but simply looked forrad to a kind oā change that waānāt a bit horrible artet a while. They thought what theyād got was well wuth all theyād had to give up - anā I guess Obed kind oā come to think the same hisself when heād chewed over old Walakeaās story a bit. Walakea, though, was one of the few as hadnāt got none of the fish blood - beinā of a royal line that intermarried with royal lines on other islands.
āWalakea he shewed Obed a lot oā rites anā incantations as had to do with the sea things, anā let him see some oā the folks in the village as had changed a lot from human shape. Somehaow or other, though, he never would let him see one of the regālar things from right aout oā the water. In the end he give him a funny kind oā thingumajig made aout oā lead or something, that he said ud bring up the fish things from any place in the water whar they might be a nest oā āem. The idee was to drop it daown with the right kind oā prayers anā sech. Walakea allowed as the things was scattered all over the world, soās anybody that looked abaout cud find a nest anā bring āem up ef they was wanted.
āMatt he didnāt like this business at all, anā wanted Obed shud keep away from the island; but the Capān was sharp fer gain, anā faound he cud get them gold-like things so cheap it ud pay him to make a specialty of them. Things went on that way for years anā Obed got enough oā that gold-like stuff to make him start the refinery in Waiteās old run-daown fullinā mill. He didnāt dass sell the pieces like they was, for folks ud be all the time askinā questions. All the same his crews ud get a piece anā dispose of it naow and then, even though they was swore to keep quiet; anā he let his women-folks wear some oā the pieces as was more human-like than most.
āWell, come abaout thutty-eight - when I was seven yearā old - Obed he faound the island people all wiped aout between vāyages. Seems the other islanders had got wind oā what was goinā on, and had took matters into their own hands. Sāpose they must a had, after all, them old magic signs as the sea things says was the only things they was afeard of. No tellinā what any oā them Kanakys will chance to git a holt of when the sea-bottom throws up some island with ruins olderān the deluge. Pious cusses, these was - they didnāt leave nothinā standinā on either the main island or the little volcanic islet excepā what parts of the ruins was too big to knock daown. In some places they was little stones strewed abaout - like charms - with somethinā on āem like what ye call a swastika naowadays. Probāly them was the Old Onesā signs. Folks all wiped aout no trace oā no gold-like things anā none the nearby Kanakys ud breathe a word abaout the matter. Wouldnāt even admit theyād ever ben any people on that island.
āThat naturally hit Obed pretty hard, seeinā as his normal trade was doinā very poor. It hit the whole of Innsmouth, too, because in seafarint days what profited the master of a ship genālly profited the crew proportionate. Most of the folks araound the taown took the hard times kind oā sheep-like anā resigned, but they was in bad shape because the fishinā was peterinā aout anā the mills wanāt doinā none too well.
āThenās the time Obed he begun a-cursinā at the folks fer beinā dull sheep anā prayinā to a Christian heaven as didnāt help āem none. He told āem heād knowed oā folks as prayed to gods that give somethinā ye reely need, anā says ef a good bunch oā men ud stand by him, he cud mebbe get a holt oā sarten paowers as ud bring plenty oā fish anā quite a bit of gold. 0ā course them as sarved on the Sumatry Queen, anā seed the island knowed what he meant, anā waānāt none too anxious to get clost to sea-things like theyād heard tell on, but them as didnāt know what ātwas all abaout got kind oā swayed by what Obed had to say, and begun to ast him what he cud do to sit āem on the way to the faith as ud bring āem results.ā
Here the old man faltered, mumbled, and lapsed into a moody and apprehensive silence; glancing nervously over his shoulder and then turning back to stare fascinatedly at the distant black reef. When I spoke to him he did not answer, so I knew I would have to let him finish the bottle. The insane yarn I was hearing interested me profoundly, for I fancied there was contained within it a sort of crude allegory based upon the strangeness of Innsmouth and elaborated by an imagination at once creative and full of scraps of exotic legend. Not for a moment did I believe that the tale had any really substantial foundation; but none the less the account held a hint of genuine terror if only because it brought in references to strange jewels clearly akin to the malign tiara I had seen at Newburyport. Perhaps the ornaments had, after all, come from some strange island; and possibly the wild stories were lies of the bygone Obed himself rather than of this antique toper.
I handed Zadok the bottle, and he drained it to the last drop. It was curious how he could stand so much whiskey, for not even a trace of thickness had come into his high, wheezy voice. He licked the nose of the bottle and slipped it into his pocket, then beginning to nod and whisper softly to himself. I bent close to catch any articulate words he might utter, and thought I saw a sardonic smile behind the stained bushy whiskers. Yes - he was really forming words, and I could grasp a fair proportion of them.
āPoor Matt - Matt he allus was agin it - tried to line up the folks on his side, anā had long talks with the preachers - no use - they run the Congregational parson aout oā taown, anā the Methodist feller quit - never did see Resolved Babcock, the Baptist parson, agin - Wrath 0ā Jehovy - I was a mightly little critter, but I heerd what I heerd an, seen what I seen - Dagon anā Ashtoreth - Belial anā Beelzebub - Golden Caff anā the idols oā Canaan anā the Philistines - Babylonish abominations - Mene, mene, tekel, upharisn - -.ā
He stopped again, and from the look in his watery blue eyes I feared he was close to a stupor after all. But when I gently shook his shoulder he turned on me with astonishing alertness and snapped out some more obscure phrases.
āDunāt believe me, hey? Hey, heh, heh - then jest tell me, young feller, why Capān Obed anā twenty odd other folks used to row aout to Devil Reef in the dead oā night anā chant things so laoud ye cud hear āem all over taown when the wind was right? Tell me that, hey? Anā tell me why Obed was allus droppinā heavy things daown into the deep water tāother side oā the reef whar the bottom shoots daown like a cliff Iowerāa ye kin saound? Tell me what he done with that funny-shaped lead thingumajig as Walakea give him? Hey, boy? Anā what did they all haowl on May-Eve, an, agin the next Halloweāen? Anā whyād the new church parsons - fellers as used to he sailors - wear them queer robes anā cover theirselves with them gold-like things Obed brung? Hey?ā
The watery blue eyes were almost savage and maniacal now, and the dirty white beard bristled electrically. Old Zadok probably saw me shrink back, for he began to cackle evilly.
āHeh, heh, heh, heh! Beginniān to see hey? Mebbe yeād like to a ben me in them days, when I seed things at night aout to sea from the cupalo top oā my haouse. Oh, I kin tell yeā little pitchers hev big ears, anā I waānāt missinā nothinā oā what was gossiped abaout Capān Obed anā the folks aout to the reef! Heh, heh, heh! Haow abaout the night I took my paās shipās glass up to the cupalo anā seed the reef a-bristlinā thick with shapes that dove off quick soonās the moon riz?
Obed anā the folks was in a dory, but them shapes dove off the far side into the deep water anā never come upā¦
Haowād ye like to be a little shaver alone up in a cupola a-watchinā shapes as waānāt human shapes?ā¦Heh?ā¦ Heh, heh, hehā¦ā
The old man was getting hysterical, and I began to shiver with a nameless alarm. He laid a gnarled claw on my shoulder, and it seemed to me that its shaking was not altogether that of mirth.
āSāpose one night ye seed somethinā heavy heaved offen Obedās dory beyond the reefā and then learned next day a young feller was missinā from home. Hey! Did anybody ever see hide or hair oā Hiram Gilman agin. Did they? Anā Nick Pierce, anā Luelly Waite, anā Adoniram Saouthwick, anā Henry Garrison Hey? Heh, heh, heh, hehā¦ Shapes talkinā sign language with their handsā¦ them as had reel handsā¦
āWal, Sir, that was the time Obed begun to git on his feet agin. Folks see his three darters a-wearinā gold-like things as nobodyād never see on āem afore, anā smoke stared cominā aout oā the refināry chimbly. Other folks was prospārin, too - fish begun to swarm into the harbour fit to killā anā heaven knows what sized cargoes we begun to ship aout to Newbāryport, Arkham, anā Boston. Tāwas then Obed got the olā branch railrud put through. Some Kingsport fishermen heerd abaout the ketch anā come up in sloops, but they was all lost. Nobody never see āem agin. Anā jest then our folk organised the Esoteric Order 0ā Dagon, anā bought Masoic Hall offen Calvary Commandery for itā¦ heh, heh, heh! Mart Eliot was a Mason anā agin the sellinā, but he dropped aout oā sight jest then.
āRemember, I aināt sayinā Obod was set on hevinā things jest like they was on that Kanaky isle. I dunāt think he aimed at fust to do no mixinā, nor raise no younguns to take to the water anā turn into fishes with eternal life. He wanted them gold things, anā was willinā to pay heavy, anā I guess the others was satisfied fer a whileā¦
āCome inā forty-six the taown done some lookinā anā thinkinā fer itself. Too many folks messinā - too much wild preachinā at meetinā of a Sunday - too much talk abaout that reef. I guess I done a bit by tellinā Selectman Mowry what I see from the cupalo. They was a party one night
Comments (0)