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           Thefailurewastotal;sothatnothingwaslefttodobutgobacktothelaboratoryandtestagainthedisappearingfragmentleftcarefullycasedinlead.Thatfragmentlastedaweek,attheendofwhichnothingofvaluehadbeenlearnedofit.Whenithadgone,noresiduewasleftbehind,andintimetheprofessorsfeltscarcelysuretheyhadindeedseenwithwakingeyesthatcrypticvestigeofthefathomlessgulfsoutside;thatlone,weirdmessagefromotheruniversesandotherrealmsofmatter,force,andentity.

           Aswasnatural,theArkhampapersmademuchoftheincidentwithitscollegiatesponsoring,andsentreporterstotalkwithNahumGardnerandhisfamily.AtleastoneBostondailyalsosentascribe,andNahumquicklybecameakindoflocalcelebrity.Hewasalean,genialpersonofaboutfifty,livingwithhiswifeandthreesonsonthepleasantfarmsteadinthevalley.HeandAmmiexchangedvisitsfrequently,asdidtheirwives;andAmmihadnothingbutpraiseforhimafteralltheseyears.Heseemedslightlyproudofthenoticehisplacehadattracted,andtalkedoftenofthemeteoriteinthesucceedingweeks.ThatJulyandAugustwerehot,andNahumworkedhardathishayingintheten-acrepastureacrossChapman’sBrook;hisrattlingwainwearingdeeprutsintheshadowylanesbetween.Thelabourtiredhimmorethanithadinotheryears,andhefeltthatagewasbeginningtotellonhim.

           Thenfellthetimeoffruitandharvest.Thepearsandapplesslowlyripened,andNahumvowedthathisorchardswereprosperingasneverbefore.