Цвет из иных миров

           Buthecouldnothelpglancingnervouslyatthestonycurbbythegreatsweep,andwhenadetectivequestionedhimheadmittedthatNahumhadfearedsomethingdownthere—somuchsothathehadnevereventhoughtofsearchingitforMerwinorZenas.Afterthatnothingwoulddobutthattheyemptyandexplorethewellimmediately,soAmmihadtowaittremblingwhilepailafterpailofrankwaterwashauledupandsplashedonthesoakinggroundoutside.Themensniffedindisgustatthefluid,andtowardthelastheldtheirnosesagainstthefoetortheywereuncovering.Itwasnotsolongajobastheyhadfeareditwouldbe,sincethewaterwasphenomenallylow.Thereisnoneedtospeaktooexactlyofwhattheyfound.MerwinandZenaswereboththere,inpart,thoughthevestigesweremainlyskeletal.Therewerealsoasmalldeerandalargedoginaboutthesamestate,andanumberofbonesofsmalleranimals.Theoozeandslimeatthebottomseemedinexplicablyporousandbubbling,andamanwhodescendedonhand-holdswithalongpolefoundthathecouldsinkthewoodenshafttoanydepthinthemudofthefloorwithoutmeetinganysolidobstruction.

           Twilighthadnowfallen,andlanternswerebroughtfromthehouse.Then,whenitwasseenthatnothingfurthercouldbegainedfromthewell,everyonewentindoorsandconferredintheancientsitting-roomwhiletheintermittentlightofaspectralhalf-moonplayedwanlyonthegreydesolationoutside.