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short stories - Story about crystal flowers that stop time?


There’s a sci-fi story whose title and author escape me. Two beings, not human but not inhuman, clearly a couple, not young, are living contentedly in a splendid but not ostentatious (I’m just trying to capture the flavor I remember) dwelling and can see over a broad valley. A ravaging army appears one day across the valley moving towards them. They have a vase of crystal flowers and they pluck one. The army stops. Time is frozen. Contentment abides. The bloom wilts, the army stirs and a new flower is plucked. Repeat. Finally the blooms are gone and we switch perspective to the invaders who find a pair of dried out husks.


Anyone know the name of story and/or author? Any help will be appreciated, thanks.





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