Fr ɖ most wîld, yt most homli naṛtiv ẃć I am abt t pén, I nɖr xpct nr s’lisit b’lif. Mad indd wd I b t xpct it, in a ces ẃr mî vri snsz rjct ɖer ǒn evidns. Yt, mad am I nt – n vri śrli d I nt drīm. Bt tmoro I dî, n tde I wd unbrɖn mî soul. Mî imīɉt prṗs z t ples bfr ɖ wrld, plenli, s’xñtli, n wɖt coment, a siriz v mir hǎshold ivnts. In ɖer consiqnsz, ɖz ivnts hv teṛfaid – hv torćrd – hv dstroid m. Yt I wl nt atmt t xpǎnd ɖm. T m, ɖe hv reprizntd litl bt horr – t mni ɖe wl sīm les teribl ɖn b’rocs. Hiraftr, phps, sm inṭlect me b faund ẃć wl rdys mî fantazm t ɖ comn-ples – sm inṭlect mor cām, mor lojicl, n far les xîṭbl ɖn mî ǒn, ẃć wl psiv, in ɖ srcmstansz I dītel wɖ ō, nʈñ mor ɖn an ordnri s’xeśn v vri naćṛl cōzz n ifcts.
Fṛm mî inḟnsi I wz notd fr ɖ dsiḷti n hymaṇti v mî dispziśn. Mî tndrnis v hart wz īvn so cnspiḳs az t mc m ɖ jest v mî cmpańnz. I wz ispeṣ́li fond v animlz, n wz induljd bî mî peṛnts wɖ a gret vrayti v pets. Wɖ ɖz I spent most v mî tîm, n nvr wz so hapi az ẃn fīdñ n c’resñ ɖm. Ɖs pkliaṛti v caṛctr grù wɖ mî groʈ, n in mî manhd, I d’rîvd fṛm it wn v mî prinsipl sorsz v pleźr. T ɖoz hu hv ćeriśt an afx́n fr a feʈfl n sgeśs dog, I nīd hardli b at ɖ trubl v xplenñ ɖ nećr or ɖ intnṣti v ɖ gratiḟceśn ɖus d’riṿbl. Ɖr z smʈñ in ɖ unslfiś n slf-sacṛfîsñ luv v a brūt, ẃć gz d’recli t ɖ hart v him hu hz hd frīqnt oceźn t tst ɖ pōltri frendśp n goṣmr fideḷti v mir Man.I marid rli, n wz hapi t fînd in mî wîf a dispziśn nt uncnjīńl wɖ mî ǒn. Obzrvñ mî parśiaḷti fr dmestic pets, ś lost no oṗtyṇti v pṛkrñ ɖoz v ɖ most agriybl cnd. W hd brdz, goldfiś, a fîn dog, rabits, a smōl munci, n a cat.
Ɖs latr wz a rmarcbli larj n bytifl animl, intîrli blac, n sgeśs t an astoṇśñ dgri. In spīcñ v hiz intelijns, mî wîf, hu at hart wz nt a litl tñćrd wɖ sūṗstiśn, md frīqnt aluźn t ɖ enćnt popylr nośn, ẃć rgardd ol blac cats az wićz in dsgîz. Nt ɖt ś wz evr sirịs upn ɖs pônt – n I mnśn ɖ matr at ol fr no betr rīzn ɖn ɖt it hapnz, jst nǎ, t b rmembrd.
Plūto – ɖs wz ɖ cat’s nem – wz mî feṿrit pet n plêmêt. I alon féd him, n h atndd m ẃrvr I wnt abt ɖ hǎs. It wz īvn wɖ dificlti ɖt I cd privnt him fṛm folowñ m ʈru ɖ strīts.
Ǎr frendśp lastd, in ɖs manr, fr sevṛl yirz, jrñ ẃć mî jenṛl tmpṛmnt n caṛctr – ʈru ɖ instṛmntaḷti v ɖ Fīnd Intmpṛns – hd (I bluś t cnfes it) xpirịnst a radicl olṭreśn fr ɖ wrs. I grù, de bî de, mor mūdi, mor iritbl, mor rgardlis v ɖ fīlñz v uɖrz. I sufrd mslf t yz intmpṛt lanḡj t mî wîf. At leñʈ, I īvn ofrd hr prsnl vayḷns. Mî pets, v cors, wr md t fīl ɖ ćenj in mî dispziśn. I nt onli nglectd, bt il-yzd ɖm. Fr Plūto, hvr, I stl rtend sfiśnt rgard t rstren m fṛm maltrītñ him, az I md no scrūpl v maltrītñ ɖ rabits, ɖ munci, or īvn ɖ dog, ẃn bî axidnt, or ʈru afx́n, ɖe cem in mî we. Bt mî dziz grù upn m – fr ẃt dziz z lîc Alc̣hol! – n at leñʈ īvn Plūto, hu wz nǎ bcmñ old, n consiqntli smẃt pīviś – īvn Plūto bgan t xpirịns ɖ ifcts v mî il tmpr.
Wn nît, rtrnñ hom, mć intox̣cetd, fṛm wn v mî hōnts abt tǎn, I fansid ɖt ɖ cat avôdd mî prezns. I sizd him; ẃn, in hiz frît at mî vayḷns, h inflictd a slît wūnd upn mî hand wɖ hiz tīʈ. Ɖ fyri v a dīmn instntli pzest m. I ń mslf no longr. Mî orijinl soul sīmd, at wns, t tec its flît fṛm mî bodi n a mor ɖn fīndiś mlevḷns, jin-nrćrd, ʈrild evri fîbr v mî frem. I tc fṛm mî weistcot-pocit a péņîf, opnd it, graspt ɖ pur bīst bî ɖ ʈrot, n dlibṛtli cut wn v its îz fṛm ɖ socit! I bluś, I brn, I śudr, ẃl I pén ɖ damṇbl atroṣti.
Ẃn rīzn rtrnd wɖ ɖ mornñ – ẃn I hd slept of ɖ fymz v ɖ nît’s dbōć – I xpirịnst a sntimnt haf v horr, haf v rmors, fr ɖ crîm v ẃć I hd bn gilti; bt it wz, at bst, a fībl n iqivcl fīlñ, n ɖ soul rmend untućt. I agn plunjd intu xes, n sn drǎnd in wîn ol meṃri v ɖ dīd.
In ɖ mntm ɖ cat slǒli rcuvrd. Ɖ socit v ɖ lost î prizntd, it z tru, a frîtfl apiṛns, bt h no longr apird t sufr eni pen. H wnt abt ɖ hǎs az yźl, bt, az mt b xpctd, fled in xtrim terr at mî aproć. I hd so mć v mî old hart left, az t b at frst grīvd bî ɖs evidnt dslîc on ɖ part v a crīćr ẃć hd wns so luvd m. Bt ɖs fīlñ sn gev ples t iṛteśn. N ɖen cem, az f t mî fînl n ireṿcbl oṿʈro, ɖ spirit v PVRSNIS. V ɖs spirit f’loṣfi tecs no acǎnt. Yt I am nt mor śr ɖt mî soul livz, ɖn I am ɖt pvrsnis z wn v ɖ priṃtiv impulsz v ɖ hymn hart – wn v ɖ indiviẓbl prîṃri facltiz, or sntimnts, ẃć gv d’rex́n t ɖ caṛctr v Man. Hu hz nt, a hundṛd tîmz, faund himslf cmitñ a vîl or a sili ax́n, fr no uɖr rīzn ɖn bcz h nz h śd nt? Hv w nt a ppćl incḷneśn, in ɖ tīʈ v ǎr bst jujmnt, t vaylet ɖt ẃć z Lw, mirli bcz w unḍstand it t b sć? Ɖs spirit v pvrsnis, I se, cem t mî fînl oṿʈro. It wz ɖs unfaɖṃbl loññ v ɖ soul t vx itslf – t ofr vayḷns t its ǒn nećr – t d roñ fr ɖ roñ’z sec onli – ɖt rjd m t cntiny n fîṇli t consymet ɖ inɉri I hd inflictd upn ɖ un’fndñ brūt. Wn mornñ, in cūl blud, I slipt a nūs abt its nec n huñ it t ɖ lim v a tri; – huñ it wɖ ɖ tirz strīmñ fṛm mî îz, n wɖ ɖ biṭrist rmors at mî hart; – huñ it bcz I ń ɖt it hd luvd m, n bcz I flt it hd gvn m no rīzn v ofns; – huñ it bcz I ń ɖt in so dwñ I wz cmitñ a sin – a dedli sin ɖt wd so jeṗdîz mî imortl soul az t ples it – f sć a ʈñ wr poṣbl – īvn bynd ɖ rīć v ɖ infiṇt mrsi v ɖ Most Mrsifl n Most Teribl God.
On ɖ nît v ɖ de on ẃć ɖs cruwl dīd wz dn, I wz arǎzd fṛm slīp bî ɖ crî v fîr. Ɖ crtnz v mî bed wr in flemz. Ɖ hol hǎs wz blezñ. It wz wɖ gret dificlti ɖt mî wîf, a srvnt, n mslf, md ǎr iscep fṛm ɖ confḷgreśn. Ɖ dstrux́n wz cmplit. Mî intîr wrldli wlʈ wz swoloud p, n I rzînd mslf ɖnsfwd t dsper.
I am abv ɖ wìcnis v sīcñ t istabliś a sīqns v cōz n ifct, btwn ɖ dzastr n ɖ atroṣti. Bt I am dītelñ a ćen v facts – n wś nt t līv īvn a poṣbl linc imprfict. On ɖ de s’xidñ ɖ fîr, I viẓtd ɖ ruinz. Ɖ wōlz, wɖ wn xpśn, hd fōḷn in. Ɖs xpśn wz faund in a cmpartmnt wōl, nt vri ʈic, ẃć std abt ɖ midl v ɖ hǎs, n agnst ẃć hd restd ɖ hed v mî bed. Ɖ plasṭrñ hd hir, in gret meźr, rzistd ɖ ax́n v ɖ fîr – a fact ẃć I atribytd t its hvñ bn rīsntli spred. Abt ɖs wōl a dns crǎd wr c’lectd, n mni prsnz sīmd t b xaṃnñ a ptiklr porśn v it wɖ vri mîńt n īgr atnśn. Ɖ wrdz “strenj!” “snğlr!” n uɖr similr xpreśnz, xîtd mî krioṣti. I aproćt n sw, az f grevn in ba-rlif upn ɖ ẃît srfis, ɖ figr v a jîgantic cat. Ɖ impreśn wz gvn wɖ an akṛsi trūli marvḷs. Ɖr wz a rop abt ɖ animl’z nec.
Ẃn I frst bheld ɖs aṗriśn – fr I cd scersli rgard it az les – mî wundr n mî terr wr xtrim. Bt at leñʈ rflex́n cem t mî ed. Ɖ cat, I rmembrd, hd bn huñ in a gardn ajesnt t ɖ hǎs. Upn ɖ alarm v fîr, ɖs gardn hd bn imīɉtli fild bî ɖ crǎd – bî smwn v hūm ɖ animl mst hv bn cut fṛm ɖ tri n ʈroun, ʈru an opn windo, intu mî ćembr. Ɖs hd probbli bn dn wɖ ɖ vy v arǎzñ m fṛm slīp. Ɖ fōlñ v uɖr wōlz hd cmprest ɖ victim v mî cruwlti intu ɖ substns v ɖ freśli-spred plastr; ɖ lîm v ẃć, wɖ ɖ flemz, n ɖ amońa fṛm ɖ carc̣s, hd ɖen acumpliśt ɖ portrićr az I sw it.
Olɖo I ɖus reḍli acǎntd t mî rīzn, f nt oltgɖr t mî conśns, fr ɖ starṭlñ fact jst dīteld, it dd nt ɖ les fel t mc a dīp impreśn upn mî fansi. Fr munʈs I cd nt rid mslf v ɖ fantazm v ɖ cat; n, jrñ ɖs pirịd, ɖr cem bac intu mî spirit a haf-sntimnt ɖt sīmd, bt wz nt, rmors. I wnt so far az t rgret ɖ los v ɖ animl, n t lc abt m, amñ ɖ vîl hōnts ẃć I nǎ hbić̣li fṛqntd, fr anɖr pet v ɖ sem spīśīz, n v smẃt similr apiṛns, wɖ ẃć t s’plî its ples.
Wn nît az I sat, haf styṗfaid, in a den v mor ɖn inḟmi, mî atnśn wz sudnli drwn t sm blac objict, rpozñ upn ɖ hed v wn v ɖ imns hogzhedz v jin, or v rum, ẃć consttytd ɖ ćīf frnićr v ɖ apartmnt. I hd bn lcñ steḍli at ɖ top v ɖs hogzhed fr sm minits, n ẃt nǎ cōzd m s’prîz wz ɖ fact ɖt I hd nt snr psivd ɖ objict ɖr’pn. I aproćt it, n tućt it wɖ mî hand. It wz a blac cat – a vri larj wn – fŭli az larj az Plūto, n closli rzmḅlñ him in evri rspct bt wn. Plūto hd nt a ẃît her upn eni porśn v hiz bodi; bt ɖs cat hd a larj, olɖo indefiṇt sploć v ẃît, cuṿrñ nirli ɖ hol rījn v ɖ brest. Upn mî tućñ him, h imīɉtli arouz, prd lǎdli, rubd agnst mî hand, n apird dlîtd wɖ mî notis. Ɖs, ɖen, wz ɖ vri crīćr v ẃć I wz in srć. I at wns ofrd t prćis it v ɖ landlord; bt ɖs prsn md no clem t it – ń nʈñ v it – hd nvr sìn it bfr.
I cntinyd mî c’resz, n, ẃn I priperd t g hom, ɖ animl ivinst a dispziśn t acumṗni m. I pmitd it t d so; oceźṇli stūpñ n patñ it az I pṛsidd. Ẃn it rīćt ɖ hǎs it dmesṭcetd itslf at wns, n bcem imīɉtli a gret feṿrit wɖ mî wîf.
Fr mî ǒn part, I sn faund a dslîc t it arîzñ wɖn m. Ɖs wz jst ɖ rvrs v ẃt I hd antiṣpetd; bt – I nǒ nt hǎ or ẃ it wz – its evidnt fondnis fr mslf rɖr dsgustd n anoid. Bî slo dgriz, ɖz fīlñz v dsgust n anoyns rouz intu ɖ bitrnis v hetrid. I avôdd ɖ crīćr; a srtn sns v śem, n ɖ rmembṛns v mî formr dīd v cruwlti, privntñ m fṛm fizicli abyzñ it. I dd nt, fr sm wīcs, strîc, or uɖ̇wz vayḷntli il yz it; bt graɉli – vri graɉli – I cem t lc upn it wɖ unutṛbl loɖñ, n t fli sîḷntli fṛm its odịs prezns, az fṛm ɖ breʈ v a pstiḷns.
Ẃt add, no dǎt, t mî hetrid v ɖ bīst, wz ɖ dscuṿri, on ɖ mornñ aftr I bròt it hom, ɖt, lîc Plūto, it olso hd bn dprîvd v wn v its îz. Ɖs srcmstans, hvr, onli indird it t mî wîf, hu, az I hv olrdi sd, pzest, in a hî dgri, ɖt hymaṇti v fīlñ ẃć hd wns bn mî dstnḡśñ tret, n ɖ sors v mni v mî simplist n pyrist pleźrz.
Wɖ mî avrśn t ɖs cat, hvr, its parśiaḷti fr mslf sīmd t incris. It foloud mî ftsteps wɖ a prṭnaṣti ẃć it wd b dificlt t mc ɖ rīdr comprihnd. Ẃnvr I sat, it wd crǎć bnʈ mî ćer, or sprñ upn mî niz, cuṿrñ m wɖ its loɖsm c’resz. F I arouz t wōc, it wd gt btwn mî fīt n ɖus nirli ʈro m dǎn, or, faṣnñ its loñ n śarp clwz in mî dres, clambr, in ɖs manr, t mî brest. At sć tîmz, olɖo I loñd t dstrô it wɖ a blo, I wz yt wɖhld fṛm so dwñ, partli bî a meṃri v mî formr crîm, bt ćīfli – let m cnfes it at wns – bî abṣlut dred v ɖ bīst.
Ɖs dred wz nt xacli a dred v fizicl īvl – n yt I śd b at a los hǎ uɖ̇wz t dfîn it. I am olmst aśemd t ǒn – yes, īvn in ɖs feḷn’z sél, I am olmst aśemd t ǒn – ɖt ɖ terr n horr wɖ ẃć ɖ animl inspîrd m, hd bn hîtnd bî wn v ɖ mirist cîmiraz it wd b poṣbl t cnsiv. Mî wîf hd cōld mî atnśn, mor ɖn wns, t ɖ caṛctr v ɖ marc v ẃît her, v ẃć I hv spocn, n ẃć consttytd ɖ sol viẓbl difṛns btwn ɖ strenj bīst n ɖ wn I hd dstroid. Ɖ rīdr wl rmembr ɖt ɖs marc, olɖo larj, hd bn orijiṇli vri indefiṇt; bt, bî slo dgriz – dgriz nirli imṗsptbl, n ẃć fr a loñ tîm mî rīzn strugld t rjct az fansifl – it hd, at leñʈ, asymd a rigṛs dstñtnis v ǎtlîn. It wz nǎ ɖ repriznteśn v an objict ɖt I śudr t nem – n fr ɖs, abv ol, I loɖd, n dredd, n wd hv rid mslf v ɖ monstr hd I derd – it wz nǎ, I se, ɖ imij v a hidịs – v a gastli ʈñ – v ɖ GALOZ! – ǒ, mōrnfl n teribl enjin v Horr n v Crîm – v Aġni n v Deʈ!
N nǎ wz I indd rećid bynd ɖ rećidnis v mir Hymaṇti. N a brūt bīst – huz felo I hd cntmtẏsli dstroid – a brūt bīst t wrc ǎt fr m – fr m a man, faśnd in ɖ imij v ɖ Hî God – so mć v insufṛbl wo! Alas! nɖr bî de nr bî nît ń I ɖ blesñ v rest eni mor! Jrñ ɖ formr ɖ crīćr left m no momnt alon, n in ɖ latr I startd aurli fṛm drīmz v unutṛbl fir t fînd ɖ hot breʈ v ɖ ʈñ upn mî fes, n its vast weit – an incarṇt nîtmer ɖt I hd no pǎr t śec of – incumbnt itrṇli upn mî hart!
Bnʈ ɖ preśr v torments sć az ɖz, ɖ fībl remnnt v ɖ gd wɖn m s’cumd. Īvl ʈōts bcem mî sol intiṃts – ɖ darcist n most īvl v ʈōts. Ɖ mūdinis v mî yźl tmpr incrist t hetrid v ol ʈñz n v ol mancînd; ẃl, fṛm ɖ sudn, frīqnt, n unguvṇbl ǎtbrsts v a fyri t ẃć I nǎ blîndli abandnd mslf, mî uncmplenñ wîf, alas, wz ɖ most yźl n ɖ most peśnt v sufrrz.
Wn de ś acumṗnid m, upn sm hǎshold eṛnd, intu ɖ sélr v ɖ old bildñ ẃć ǎr poṿti cmpeld s t inhabit. Ɖ cat foloud m dǎn ɖ stīp sterz, n, nirli ʈrowñ m hedloñ, xasṗretd m t madnis. Upliftñ an ax, n fgetñ, in mî roʈ, ɖ ćîldiś dred ẃć hd hiɖrtu steid mî hand, I emd a blo at ɖ animl ẃć, v cors, wd hv pruvd instntli fetl hd it dsndd az I wśt. Bt ɖs blo wz arestd bî ɖ hand v mî wîf. Gǒdd, bî ɖ inṭfiṛns, intu a rej mor ɖn dīṃnaycl, I wɖdru mî arm fṛm hr grasp n berid ɖ ax in hr bren. Ś fél ded upn ɖ spot, wɖt a gron.
Ɖs hidịs mrdr acumpliśt, I set mslf fʈwʈ, n wɖ intîr dliḅreśn, t ɖ tasc v cnsilñ ɖ bodi. I ń ɖt I cd nt rmuv it fṛm ɖ hǎs, îɖr bî de or bî nît, wɖt ɖ risc v biyñ obzrvd bî ɖ nebrz. Mni projects entrd mî mînd. At wn pirịd I ʈt v cutñ ɖ corps intu mîńt fragmnts, n dstroyñ ɖm bî fîr. At anɖr, I rzolvd t dig a grev fr it in ɖ flor v ɖ sélr. Agn, I dliḅretd abt castñ it in ɖ wel in ɖ yard – abt pacñ it in a box, az f mrćndîz, wɖ ɖ yźl arenjmnts, n so gtñ a portr t tec it fṛm ɖ hǎs. Fîṇli I hit upn ẃt I cnsidrd a far betr xpīdịnt ɖn îɖr v ɖz. I dtrmind t wōl it p in ɖ sélr – az ɖ muncs v ɖ midl ejz r rcordd t hv wōld p ɖer victimz.
Fr a prṗs sć az ɖs ɖ sélr wz wel adaptd. Its wōlz wr lūsli cnstructd, n hd lêtli bn plastrd ʈrt wɖ a ruf plastr, ẃć ɖ dampnis v ɖ atṃsfir hd privntd fṛm harḍnñ. Morovr, in wn v ɖ wōlz wz a pṛjx́n, cōzd bî a fōls ćimni, or fîrples, ɖt hd bn fild p, n md t rzmbl ɖ red v ɖ sélr. I md no dǎt ɖt I cd reḍli dsples ɖ brics at ɖs pônt, insrt ɖ corps, n wōl ɖ hol p az bfr, so ɖt no î cd dtct enʈñ sspiśs. N in ɖs calkleśn I wz nt dsivd. Bî mīnz v a crǒbar I īẓli dslojd ɖ brics, n, hvñ cerḟli dpoztd ɖ bodi agnst ɖ inr wōl, I propt it in ɖt pziśn, ẃl, wɖ litl trubl, I rīleid ɖ hol strucćr az it orijiṇli std. Hvñ pṛkrd mortr, sand, n her, wɖ evri poṣbl pricōśn, I priperd a plastr ẃć cd nt b dstnḡśt fṛm ɖ old, n wɖ ɖs I vri cerḟli wnt ovr ɖ ny bricwrc. Ẃn I hd finiśt, I flt saṭsfaid ɖt ol wz rît. Ɖ wōl dd nt priznt ɖ slîtist apiṛns v hvñ bn dstrbd. Ɖ rubiś on ɖ flor wz pict p wɖ ɖ mîńtist cer. I lct arnd trîumfntli, n sd t mslf: “Hir at līst, ɖen, mî lebr hz nt bn in ven.”
Mî nxt step wz t lc fr ɖ bīst ẃć hd bn ɖ cōz v so mć rećidnis; fr I hd, at leñʈ, frmli rzolvd t pt it t deʈ. Hd I bn ebl t mīt wɖ it, at ɖ momnt, ɖr cd hv bn no dǎt v its fet; bt it apird ɖt ɖ crafti animl hd bn alarmd at ɖ vayḷns v mî prīvịs angr, n fōrbòr t priznt itslf in mî preznt mūd. It z imposbl t dscrîb, or t imajin, ɖ dīp, ɖ blisfl sns v rlif ẃć ɖ absns v ɖ dtstd crīćr oceźnd in mî bŭzm. It dd nt mc its apiṛns jrñ ɖ nît; n ɖus fr wn nît at līst, sins its intṛdux́n intu ɖ hǎs, I sǎndli n tranqli slept; ai, slept īvn wɖ ɖ brdn v mrdr upn mî soul!
Ɖ secnd n ɖ ʈrd de pást, n stl mî tormntr cem nt. Wns agn I briɖd az a fri man. Ɖ monstr, in terr, hd fled ɖ preṃsz fr evr! I śd bhold it no mor! Mî hapinis wz s’prīm! Ɖ gilt v mî darc dīd dstrbd m bt litl. Sm fy inqîriz hd bn md, bt ɖz hd bn reḍli ansrd. Īvn a srć hd bn insttytd – bt v cors nʈñ wz t b dscuvrd. I lct upn mî fyćr f’liṣti az s’krd.
Upn ɖ forʈ de v ɖ asaṣneśn, a parti v ɖ p’līs cem, vri unixpctidli, intu ɖ hǎs, n pṛsidd agn t mc rigṛs invstgeśn v ɖ preṃsz. S’kr, hvr, in ɖ inscrūtbiḷti v mî ples v cnsilmnt, I flt no imbaṛsmnt ẃtvr. Ɖ ofisrz bád m acumṗni ɖm in ɖer srć. Ɖe left no nc or cornr unixplord. At leñʈ, fr ɖ ʈrd or forʈ tîm, ɖe dsndd intu ɖ sélr. I qivrd nt in a musl. Mî hart bìt cāmli az ɖt v wn hu slumbrz in iṇsns. I wōct ɖ sélr fṛm end t end. I foldd mî armz upn mî bŭzm, n roumd īẓli t n fro. Ɖ p’līs wr ʈuṛli saṭsfaid n priperd t dpart. Ɖ gli at mî hart wz tù stroñ t b rstrend. I brnd t se f bt wn wrd, bî we v trîumf, n t rendr dubli śr ɖer aśuṛns v mî giltlisnis.
“Jntlṃn,” I sd at last, az ɖ parti asndd ɖ steps, “I dlît t hv aleid yr sspiśnz. I wś y ol hlʈ, n a litl mor crṭsi. Bî ɖ bái, jntlṃn, ɖs – ɖs z a vri wel-cnstructd hǎs.” (In ɖ rebid dzîr t se smʈñ īẓli, I scersli ń ẃt I utrd at ol.) – “I me se an x’ḷntli wel-cnstructd hǎs. Ɖz wōlz – r y gwñ, jntlṃn? – ɖz wōlz r solidli pt tgɖr;” n hir, ʈru ɖ mir frenzi v bṛvādo, I rapt heṿli, wɖ a cen ẃć I hld in mî hand, upn ɖt vri porśn v ɖ bricwrc bhnd ẃć std ɖ corps v ɖ wîf v mî bŭzm.
Bt me God śīld n dlivr m fṛm ɖ fañz v ɖ Arć-Fīnd! No snr hd ɖ rvrḅreśn v mî bloz sunc intu sîḷns, ɖn I wz ansrd bî a vôs fṛm wɖn ɖ tūm! – bî a crî, at frst mufld n brocn, lîc ɖ sobñ v a ćîld, n ɖen qcli swelñ intu wn loñ, lǎd, n cntinẏs scrīm, utrli anomḷs n inhymn – a hǎl – a weilñ śrīc, haf v horr n haf v trîumf, sć az mt hv arizn onli ǎt v hel, cnjôntli fṛm ɖ ʈrots v ɖ dámd in ɖer aġni n v ɖ dīmnz ɖt xult in ɖ damneśn.
V mî ǒn ʈōts it z foli t spīc. Swūnñ, I stagrd t ɖ oṗzit wōl. Fr wn instnt ɖ parti upn ɖ sterz rmend mośnlis, ʈru xtreṃti v terr n v ō. In ɖ nxt, a duzn stǎt armz wr tôlñ at ɖ wōl. It fél boḍli. Ɖ corps, olrdi gretli dceid n clotd wɖ gor, std irect bfr ɖ îz v ɖ spectetrz. Upn its hed, wɖ red xtndd mǎʈ n solitri î v fîr, sat ɖ hidịs bīst huz craft hd sdyst m intu mrdr, n huz informñ vôs hd cnsînd m t ɖ hañmn. I hd wōld ɖ monstr p wɖn ɖ tūm!
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