Цвет из иных миров

           Thefruitwasgrowingtophenomenalsizeandunwontedgloss,andinsuchabundancethatextrabarrelswereorderedtohandlethefuturecrop.Butwiththeripeningcamesoredisappointment;forofallthatgorgeousarrayofspeciouslusciousnessnotonesinglejotwasfittoeat.Intothefineflavourofthepearsandappleshadcreptastealthybitternessandsickishness,sothateventhesmallestofbitesinducedalastingdisgust.Itwasthesamewiththemelonsandtomatoes,andNahumsadlysawthathisentirecropwaslost.Quicktoconnectevents,hedeclaredthatthemeteoritehadpoisonedthesoil,andthankedheaventhatmostoftheothercropswereintheuplandlotalongtheroad.

           Wintercameearly,andwasverycold.AmmisawNahumlessoftenthanusual,andobservedthathehadbeguntolookworried.Therestofhisfamily,too,seemedtohavegrowntaciturn;andwerefarfromsteadyintheirchurchgoingortheirattendanceatthevarioussocialeventsofthecountryside.Forthisreserveormelancholynocausecouldbefound,thoughallthehouseholdconfessednowandthentopoorerhealthandafeelingofvaguedisquiet.Nahumhimselfgavethemostdefinitestatementofanyonewhenhesaidhewasdisturbedaboutcertainfootprintsinthesnow.Theyweretheusualwinterprintsofredsquirrels,whiterabbits,andfoxes,butthebroodingfarmerprofessedtoseesomethingnotquiterightabouttheirnatureandarrangement.Hewasneverspecific,butappearedtothinkthattheywerenotascharacteristicoftheanatomyandhabitsofsquirrelsandrabbitsandfoxesastheyoughttobe.