Великий военный синдикат

           Thegreatbrowncloudquicklybegantoloseitssphericalform,partofitdescendingheavilytotheearth,andpartfloatingawayinvastdust-cloudsborneinlandbythebreeze,settlingdownwardastheymoved,anddepositingonland,water,ships,houses,domes,andtreesanalmostimpalpablepowder.Whenthecloudhadclearedawaytherewerenofortifications,andthebluffonwhichtheyhadstoodhaddisappeared.Partofthisbluffhadfloatedawayonthewind,andpartofitlaypiledingreatheapsofsandonthespotwhereitsrocksweretohaveupheldafort.Theeffectofthemotor-bombwasfullyobservedwithglassesfromthevariousfortificationsoftheport,andfrommanypointsofthecityandharbour;andthosefamiliarwiththeeffectsofexplosiveswerenotlonginmakinguptheirmindswhathadhappened.TheyfeltsurethataminehadbeensprungbeneathFortPilcher;andtheywerenowequallyconfidentthatinthemorningatorpedoofnovelandterriblepowerhadbeenexplodedintheharbour.Theynowdisbelievedintheearthquake,andtreatedwithcontemptthepretencethatshotshadbeenfiredfromtheSyndicate’svessel.Thiswasmerelyatrickoftheenemy.Itwasnotevenlikelythatthemineorthetorpedohadbeenoperatedfromtheship.Thesewere,inallprobability,underthecontrolofconfederatesonshore,andhadbeenexplodedattimesagreeduponbeforehand.Allthiswasperfectlyplaintothemilitaryauthorities.Butthepeopleofthecityderivednocomfortfromtheannouncementoftheseconclusions.