Цвет из иных миров

           Alltheorchardtreesblossomedforthinstrangecolours,andthroughthestonysoiloftheyardandadjacentpasturagetheresprangupabizarregrowthwhichonlyabotanistcouldconnectwiththeproperfloraoftheregion.Nosanewholesomecolourswereanywheretobeseenexceptinthegreengrassandleafage;buteverywherethosehecticandprismaticvariantsofsomediseased,underlyingprimarytonewithoutaplaceamongtheknowntintsofearth.TheDutchman’sbreechesbecameathingofsinistermenace,andthebloodrootsgrewinsolentintheirchromaticperversion.AmmiandtheGardnersthoughtthatmostofthecolourshadasortofhauntingfamiliarity,anddecidedthattheyremindedoneofthebrittleglobuleinthemeteor.Nahumploughedandsowedtheten-acrepastureandtheuplandlot,butdidnothingwiththelandaroundthehouse.Heknewitwouldbeofnouse,andhopedthatthesummer’sstrangegrowthswoulddrawallthepoisonfromthesoil.Hewaspreparedforalmostanythingnow,andhadgrownusedtothesenseofsomethingnearhimwaitingtobeheard.Theshunningofhishousebyneighbourstoldonhim,ofcourse;butittoldonhiswifemore.Theboyswerebetteroff,beingatschooleachday;buttheycouldnothelpbeingfrightenedbythegossip.Thaddeus,anespeciallysensitiveyouth,sufferedthemost.

           InMaytheinsectscame,andNahum’splacebecameanightmareofbuzzingandcrawling.Mostofthecreaturesseemednotquiteusualintheiraspectsandmotions,andtheirnocturnalhabitscontradictedallformerexperience.