precincts of the massive walls was a city of fire: the open way through

which Raymond had ridden was enveloped in smoke and flame. After an

interval the explosions ceased, but the flames still shot up from various

quarters; the dome of St. Sophia had disappeared. Strange to say (the

result perhaps of the concussion of air occasioned by the blowing up of the

city) huge, white thunder clouds lifted themselves up from the southern

horizon, and gathered over-head; they were the first blots on the blue

expanse that I had seen for months, and amidst this havoc and despair they

inspired pleasure. The vault above became obscured, lightning flashed from

the heavy masses, followed instantaneously by crashing thunder; then the

big rain fell. The flames of the city bent beneath it; and the smoke and

dust arising from the ruins was dissipated.

I no sooner perceived an abatement of the flames than, hurried on by an

irresistible impulse, I endeavoured to penetrate the town. I could only do

this on foot, as the mass of ruin was impracticable for a horse. I had

never entered the city before, and its ways were unknown to me. The streets

were blocked up, the ruins smoking; I climbed up one heap, only to view

others in succession; and nothing told me where the centre of the town

might be, or towards what point Raymond might have directed his course. The

rain ceased; the clouds sunk behind the horizon; it was now evening, and

the sun descended swiftly the western sky. I scrambled on, until I came to

a street, whose wooden houses, half-burnt, had been cooled by the rain, and

were fortunately uninjured by the gunpowder. Up this I hurried--until now

I had not seen a vestige of man. Yet none of the defaced human forms which

I distinguished, could be Raymond; so I turned my eyes away, while my heart

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The Last Man