About the book: year / 1983 A humming flame greedily gnawed at a dying house - no, already dead. Only the skeleton remained, black, blacker than the night sky, a skeleton gaping with torn holes in the windows. The ceilings were collapsing, and the corroded remains of the roof were flying around in rags. People swarmed around the house stupidly. Those in uniform ran and fussed, seriously considering their activity meaningful; those in ordinary clothes gazed at the fire in fascination, rising on tiptoe, or the lucky ones who did not fall to the hungry flame lay and sat right on the ground, indifferent to what was happening. They sat - alive, lay - dead. The indifference was similar, for the survivors had not yet realized how lucky they were. The fire started so quickly that residents escaping from the upper floors died before reaching the second floor.. ...