Chapter Thirty-Two: Aftermath“They're all dead.”
Luis sat on the ground, Constanza in his lap weeping softly. He stroked her hair and looked up at the mayor. He appeared dazed and the bruise on the side of his head was the size of a piece of shoe leather, and about the same colour.
Carlos staggered over to Alvaro and helped him sit up. The pistol slipped from his fingers. He, along with everyone else, appeared drained, thoughts elsewhere, no one able to come to terms with the nightmare events, nor believe it was over.
After a prolonged pause, the mayor went around each of the bodies, prodding them with the toes of his boot, paying particular attention to the soldiers, turning them over, studying their waxen faces.
“He's not here,” he said, his voice sounding strange, as if his tongue w
