Chapter 20
Orange smoke spread over the city. Between the distant skyscrapers, fan flares bloomed. The sirens roared with rhythmic cries. Behind the low yellow-red clouds, the sky was invisible. On the crumbling houses, leaden shutters on windows and doors tightly grasped each other. Through the empty streets scoured lean sheep-dogs, with gas masks on their faces, which, like trunks, touched the polluted earth. Short long-range automatic lines indicated a long local war. Huge armoured jeeps here and there drove slowly along unharvested streets, guarding an incomprehensible order. Large black birds accompanied them with low flight and a hoarse scream. A sharp flame and a muffled cry escaped from the distant bulk of the hill. On a vast metal square, people in green suits and black helmets c
