“My God,” Saul murmured in his ear. “Oh, my God.”
Anton forced himself to open his eyes. Where the tank had been, an enormous, swirling heap of men was piled high, tilting to the side more and more. Behind it a broad, bright red stripe stretched over the snow, looking like ink on a blotter. Around the pile of bodies there was emptiness, only four men in fur coats walked unhurriedly along, keeping pace with the man-plastered tank.
Anton looked mechanically at the men with the poles. They were standing in the same place, in their previous poses, absolutely motionless. One of them shifted the pole from one arm to the other in a slow movement and then was motionless again. Apparently, he didn’t even look downward.
The roar of the engine ceased. The tank had been turned on its side, and the
