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ngle　voice　to　be　louder　than　any　other；　nor　any　back　to　labour　less　than　its　neighbour's；　they　let　an　insane　consensus　replace　the　tranquil　voice　of　reason。　They　were　convulsed　into　one　mind；　one　thought；　one　ambition。　They　became；　in　the　space　of　a　few　moments；　the　single…minded　giant　whose　image　they　had　so　brilliantly　re…created。　The　illusion　of　petty　individuality　was　swept　away　in　an　irresistible　tide　of　collective　feeling…not　a　mob's　passion；　but　a　telepathic　surge　that　dissolved　the　voices　of　thousands　into　one　irresistible　mand。
　　And　the　voice　said：　Go！
　　The　voice　said：　take　this　horrible　sight　away；　where　I　need　never　see　it　again。
　　Popolac　turned　away　into　the　hills；　its　legs　taking　strides　half　a　mile　long。　Each　man；　woman　and　child　in　that　seething　tower　was　sightless。　They　saw　only　through　the　eyes　of　the　city。　They　were　thoughtless；　but　to　think　the　city's　thoughts。　And　they　believed　themselves　deathless；　in　their　lumbering；　relentless　strength。　Vast　and　mad　and　deathless。
　　
　　Two　miles　along　the　road　Mick　and　Judd　smelt　petrol　in　the　air；　and　a　little　further　along　they　came　upon　the　VW。　It　had　overturned　in　the　reed…clogged　drainage　ditch　at　the　side　of　the　road。　It　had　not　caught　fire。
　　The　driver's　door　was　open；　and　the　body　of　Vaslav　Jelovsek　had　tumbled　out。　His　face　was　calm　in　unconsciousness。　There　seemed　to　be　no　sign　of　injury；　except　for　a　small　cut　or　two　on　his　sober　face。　They　gently　pulled　the　thief　out　of　the　wreckage　and　up　out　of　the　filth　of　the　ditch　on　to　the　road。　He　moaned　a　little　as　they　fussed　about　him；　rolling　Mick's　sweater　up　to　pillow　his　head　and　removing　the　man's　jacket　and　tie。
　　Quite　suddenly；　he　opened　his　eyes。
　　He　stared　at　them　both。
　　〃Are　you　all　right？〃　Mick　asked。
　　The　man　said　nothing　for　a　moment。　He　seemed　not　to　understand。
　　Then：　〃English？〃　he　said。　His　accent　was　thick；　but　the　question　was　quite　clear。
　　〃Yes。〃
　　〃I　heard　your　voices。　English。〃　He　frowned　and　winced。
　　〃Are　you　in　pain？〃　said　Judd。
　　The　man　seemed　to　find　this　amusing。
　　〃Am　I　in　pain？〃　he　repeated；　his　face　screwed　up　in　a　mixture　of　agony　and　delight。
　　〃I　shall　die；〃　he　said；　through　gritted　teeth。
　　〃No；〃　said　Mick；　〃you're　all　right…〃　The　man　shook　his　head；　his　authority　absolute。
　　〃I　shall　die；〃　he　said　again；　the　voice　full　of　determination；　〃I　want　to　die。〃　Judd　crouched　closer　to　him。　His　voice　was　weaker　by　the　moment。
　　〃Tell　us　what　to　do；〃　he　said。　The　man　had　closed　his　eyes。　Judd　shook　him　awake；　roughly。
　　〃Tell　us；〃　he　said　again；　his　show　of　passion　rapidly　disappearing。　〃Tell　us　what　this　is　all　about。〃
　　〃About？〃　said　the　man；　his　eyes　still　closed。　〃It　was　a　fall；　that's　all。　Just　a　fall　。　。
　　〃What　fell？〃
　　〃The　city。　Podujevo。　My　city。〃
　　〃What　did　it　fall　from？〃
　　〃Itself；　of　course。〃　The　man　was　explaining　nothing；　just　answering　one　riddle　with　another。
　　〃Where　were　you　going？〃　Mick　inquired；　trying　to　sound　as　unagressive　as　possible。
　　〃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？