Kitabı oku: «The Call of Cthulhu / Зов Ктулху», sayfa 22

The inevitable conclusion was that in this part of the world there had been a remarkable and unique degree of continuity between the life of over three hundred million years ago and that of only thirty million years ago. Lake continued to send us frequent messages. Those who followed the newspapers will remember the excitement created among scientists by that afternoon’s reports. I will give the messages literally as Lake sent them:

“Fowler ¹⁵⁰ discovers important fragments in sandstone and limestone. Several distinct triangular striated prints like those in Archaean slate. That is, their source survived from over six hundred million years ago to Comanchian times ¹⁵¹ without morphological changes. Comanchian prints apparently more primitive or decadent than older ones. It will mean to biology what Einstein has meant to mathematics and physics. It joins up with my previous work and conclusions.

As I suspected, the earth has seen whole cycle or cycles of organic life before known one that begins withArchaeozoic cells ¹⁵². A thousand million years ago the planet was inhabitable. The question arises when, where, and how evolution took place.”

* * *

“Later. Examining certain skeletal fragments of large land and marine creatures and primitive mammals, I found local wounds or injuries to bony structure. One or two cases of clean bones. Not many specimens affected. I am sending to the camp for electric torches. I want to extend search area underground.”

* * *

“Still later. I have found a peculiar soapstone fragment about six inches across and an inch and a half thick, greenish. It is impossible to place its period. It has curious smoothness and regularity and is shaped like five-pointed star with tips broken off, with signs of other cleavage at inward angles and in center of surface. Probably water action. Dogs were barking continuously while we were working, and they hate this soapstone. I must check if it has any peculiar odor. I will report again when Mills gets back with light and we start on underground area.”

* * *

“10:15 p. m. Important discovery.Orrendorf and Watkins ¹⁵³, working underground at 9:45 with light, found monstrous barrel-shaped fossil of wholly unknown nature, probably vegetable. It is tough as leather, but flexibility retained in places. Six feet end to end, three and five-tenths feet central diameter. Like a barrel with five bulging ridges in place of staves. In furrows between ridges there are curious combs or wings that fold up and spread out like fans. This reminds one of certain monsters of primal myth, especially fabled Elder Things in Necronomicon. The wings are membraneous, ends of body shriveled. I can’t decide whether it is vegetable or animal. I have trouble with dogs. They can’t endure the new specimen, and would probably tear it to pieces if we didn’t keep it at a distance from them.”