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　　〃After　Popolac；〃　said　the　man。
　　〃Popolac？〃　said　Judd。
　　Mick　began　to　see　some　sense　in　the　story。
　　〃Popolac　is　another　city。　Like　Podujevo。　Twin　cities。　They're　on　the　map…〃
　　〃Where's　the　city　now？〃　said　Judd。
　　Vaslav　Jelovsek　seemed　to　choose　to　tell　the　truth。　There　was　a　moment　when　he　hovered　between　dying　with　a　riddle　on　his　lips；　and　living　long　enough　to　unburden　his　story。　What　did　it　matter　if　the　tale　was　told　now？　There　could　never　be　another　contest：　all　that　was　over。
　　〃They　came　to　fight；〃　he　said；　his　voice　now　very　soft；　〃Popolac　and　Podujevo。　They　e　every　ten　years…〃
　　〃Fight？〃　said　Judd。　〃You　mean　all　those　people　were　slaughtered？〃　Vaslav　shook　his　head。
　　〃No；　no。　They　fell。　I　told　you。〃
　　〃Well；　how　do　they　fight？〃　Mick　said。
　　〃Go　into　the　hills；〃　was　the　only　reply。
　　Vaslav　opened　his　eyes　a　little。　The　faces　that　loomed　over　him　were　exhausted　and　sick。　They　had　suffered；　these　innocents。　They　deserved　some　explanation。
　　〃As　giants；〃　he　said。　〃They　fought　as　giants。　They　made　a　body　out　of　their　bodies；　do　you　understand？　The　frame；　the　muscles；　the　bone；　the　eyes；　nose；　teeth　all　made　of　men　and　women。〃
　　〃He's　delirious；〃　said　Judd。
　　〃You　go　into　the　hills；〃　the　man　repeated。　〃See　for　yourselves　how　true　it　is。〃
　　〃Even　supposing…〃　Mick　began。
　　Vaslav　interrupted　him；　eager　to　be　finished。　〃They　were　good　at　the　game　of　giants。　It　took　many　centuries　of　practice：　every　ten　years　making　the　figure　larger　and　larger。　One　always　ambitious　to　be　larger　than　the　other。　Ropes　to　tie　them　all　together；　flawlessly。　Sinews　。　。　ligaments　。　。　。　There　was　food　in　its　belly　。　。　。　there　were　pipes　from　the　loins；　to　take　away　the　waste。　The　best…sighted　sat　in　the　eye…sockets；　the　best　voiced　in　the　mouth　and　throat。　You　wouldn't　believe　the　engineering　of　it。〃
　　〃I　don't；〃　said　Judd；　and　stood　up。
　　〃It　is　the　body　of　the　state；〃　said　Vaslav；　so　softly　his　voice　was　barely　above　a　whisper；　〃it　is　the　shape　of　our　lives。〃　There　was　a　silence。　Small　clouds　passed　over　the　road；　soundlessly　shedding　their　mass　to　the　air。
　　〃It　was　a　miracle；〃　he　said。　It　was　as　if　he　realized　the　true　enormity　of　the　fact　for　the　first　time。　〃It　was　a　miracle。〃　It　was　enough。　Yes。　It　was　quite　enough。
　　His　mouth　closed；　the　words　said；　and　he　died。
　　Mick　felt　this　death　more　acutely　than　the　thousands　they　had　fled　from；　or　rather　this　death　was　the　key　to　unlock　the　anguish　he　felt　for　them　all。
　　Whether　the　man　had　chosen　to　tell　a　fantastic　lie　as　he　died；　or　whether　this　story　was　in　some　way　true；　Mick　felt　useless　in　the　face　of　it。　His　imagination　was　too　narrow　to　enpass　the　idea。　His　brain　ached　with　the　thought　of　it；　and　his　passion　cracked　under　the　weight　of　misery　he　felt。
　　They　stood　on　the　road；　while　the　clouds　scudded　by；　their　vague；　grey　shadows　passing　over　them　towards　the　enigmatic　hills。
　　
　　It　was　twilight。
　　Popolac　could　stride　no　further。　It　felt　exhaustion　in　every　muscle。　Here　and　there　in　its　huge　anatomy　deaths　had　occurred；　but　there　was　no　grieving　in　the　city　for　its　deceased　cells。　If　the　dead　were　in　the　interior；　the　corpses　were　allowed　to　hang　from　their　harnesses。　If　they　formed　the　skin　of　the　city　they　were　unbuckled　from　their　positions　and　released；　to　plunge　into　the　forest　below。
　　The　giant　was　not　capable　of　pity。　It　had　no　ambition　but　to　continue　until　it　ceased。
　　As　the　sun　slunk　out　of　sight　Popolac　rested；　sitting　on　a　small　hillock；　nursing　its　huge　head　in　its　huge　hands。
　　The　stars　were　ing　out；　with　their　familiar　caution。　Night　was　approaching；　mercifully　bandaging　up　the　wounds　of　the　day；　blinding　eyes　that　had　seen　too　much。
　　Popolac　rose　to　its　feet　again；　and　began　to　move；　step　by　booming　step。　It　would　not　be　long　surely；　before　fatigue　overcame　it：　before　it　could　lie　down　in　the　tomb　of　some　lost　valley　and　die。
　　But　for　a　space　yet　it　must　walk　on；　each　step　more　agonizingly　slow　than　the　last；　while　the　night　bloomed　black　around　its　head。
　　
　　Mick　wanted　to　bury　the　car…thief；　somewhere　on　the　edge　of　the　forest。　Judd；　however；　pointed　out　that　burying　a　body　might　seem；　in　tomorrow's　saner　light；　a　little　suspicious。　And　besides；　wasn't　it　absurd　to　concern　themselves　with　one　corpse　when　there　were　literally　thousands　of　them　lying　a　few　miles　from　where　they　stood？
　　The　body　was　left　to　lie；　therefore；　and　the　car　to　sink　deeper　into　the　ditch。
　　They　began　to　walk　again。
　　It　was　cold；　and　colder　by　the　moment；　and　they　were　hungry。　But　the　few　houses　they　passed　were　all　deserted；　locked　and　shuttered；　every　one。
　　〃What　did　he　mean？〃　said　Mick；　as　they　stood　looking　at　another　locked　door。
　　〃He　was　talking　metaphor…；　〃All　that　stuff　about　giants？〃
　　〃It　was　some　Trotskyist　tripe…〃　Judd　insisted。
　　〃I　don't　think　so。〃
　　〃I　know　so。　It　was　his　deathbed　speech；　he'd　probably　been　preparing　for　years。〃
　　〃I　don't　think　so；〃　Mick　said　again；　and　began　walking　back　towards　the　road。
　　〃Oh；　how's　that？〃　Judd　was　at　his　back。
　　〃He　wasn't　toeing　some　party　line。〃
　　〃Are　you　saying　you　think　there's　some　giant　around　here　someplace？　For　God's　sake！〃　Mick　turned　to　Judd。　His　face　was　difficult　to　see　the　twilight。　But　his　voice　was　sober　with　belief。
　　〃Yes。　I　think　he　was　telling　the　truth。〃
　　〃That's　absurd。　That's　ridiculous。　No。〃　Judd　hated　Mick　that　moment。　Hated　his　naiveté；　his　passion　to　believe　any　half…witted　story　if　it　had　a　whiff　of　romance　about　it。　And　this？　This　was　the　worst；　the　most　preposterous　。
　　〃No；〃　he　said　again。　〃No。　No。　No。〃　The　sky　was　porcelain　smooth；　and　the　outline　of　the　hills　black　as　pitch。
　　〃I'm　fucking　freezing；〃　said　Mick　out　of　the　ink。　〃Are　you　staying　here　or　walking　with　me？〃　Judd　shouted：　〃We're　not　going　to　find　anything　this　way。〃
　　〃Well　it's　a　long　way　back。〃
　　〃We're　just　going　deeper　into　the　hills。〃
　　〃Do　what　you　like…I'm　walking。〃　His　footsteps　receded：　the　dark　encased　him。　After　a　minute；　Judd　followed。
　　
　　The　night　was　cloudless　and　bitter。　They　walked　on；　their　collars　up　against　the　chill；　their　feet　swollen　in　their　shoes。　Above　them　the　whole　sky　had　bee　a　parade　of　stars。　A　triumph　of　spilled　light；　from　which　the　eye　could　make　as　many　patterns　as　it　had　patience　for。　After　a　while；　they　slung　their　tired　arms　around　each　other；　for　fort　and　warmth。
　　About　eleven　o'clock；　they　saw　the　glow　of　a　window　in　the　distance。
　　The　woman　at　the　door　of　the　stone　cottage　didn't　smile；　but　she　understood　their　condition；　and　let　them　in。　There　seemed　to　be　no　purpose　in　trying　to　explain　to　either　the　woman　or　her　crippled　husband　what　they　had　seen。　The　cottage　had　no　telephone；　and　there　was　no　sign　of　a　vehicle；　so　even　had　they　found　some　way　to　express　themselves；　nothing　could　be　done。
　　With　mimes　and　face…pullings　they　explained　that　they　were　hungry　and　exhausted。　They　tried　further　to　explain　they　were　lost；　cursing　themselves　for　leaving　their　phrase…book　in　the　VW。　She　didn't　seem　to　understand　very　much　of　what　they　said；　but　sat　them　down　beside　a　blazing　fire　and　put　a　pan　of　food　on　the　stove　to　heat。
　　They　ate　thick　unsalted　pea　soup　and　eggs；　and　occasionally　smiled　their　thanks　at　the　woman。　Her　husband　sat　beside　the　fire；　making　no　attempt　to　talk；　or　even　look　at　the　visitors。
　　The　food　was　good。　It　buoyed　their　spirits。
　　They　would　sleep　until　morning　and　then　begin　the　long　trek　back。　By　dawn　the　bodies　in　the　field　would　be　being　quantified；　identified；　parcelled　up　and　dispatched　to　their　families。　The　air　would　be　full　of　reassuring　noises；　cancelling　out　the　moans　that　still　rang　in　their　ears。　There　would　be　helicopters；　lorry　loads　of　men　organizing　the　clearing…up　operations。　All　the　rites　and　paraphernalia　of　a　civilized　disaster。
　　And　in　a　while；　it　would　be　palatable。　It　would　bee　part　of　their　history：　a　tragedy；　of　course；　but　one　they　could　explain；　classify　and　learn　to　live　with。　All　would　be　well；　yes；　all　would　be　well。　e　morning。
　　The　sleep　of　sheer　fatigue　came　on　them　suddenly。　They　lay　where　they　had　fallen；　still　sitting　at　the　table；　their　heads　on　their　crossed　arms。　A　litter　of　empty　bowls　and　bread　crusts　surrounded　them。
　　They　knew　nothing。　Dreamt　nothing。　Felt　nothing。
　　Then　the　thunder　began。
　　In　the　earth；　in　the　deep　earth；　a　rhythmical　tread；　as　of　a　titan；　that　came；　by　degrees；　closer　and　closer。
　　The　woman　woke　her　husband。　She　blew　out　the　lamp　and　went　to　the　door。　The　night　sky　was　luminous　with　stars：　the　hills　black　on　every　side。
　　The　thunder　still　sounded：　a　full　half　minute　between　every　boom；　but　louder　now。　And　louder　with　every　new　step。
　　They　stood　at　the　door　together；　husband　and　wife；　and　listened　to　the　night…hills　echo　back　and　forth　with　the　sound。　There　was　no　lightning　to　acpany　the　thunder。
　　Just　the　boom…Boom…Boom…It　made　the　ground　shake：　it　threw　dust　down　from　the　door…lintel；　and　rattled　the　window…latches。
　　Boom…Boom…They　didn't　know　what　approached；　but　whatever　shape　it　took；　and　whatever　it　intended；　there　seemed　no　sense　in　running　from　it。　Where　they　stood；　in　the　pitiful　shelter　of　their