He buried his head in my lap, stuffing his mouth with the end of the abiyi to choke the sobs back.

I covered his head completely and, like the fabled ostrich, in that darkness he felt better.
Suddenly, as clear as the ring of glass against thick glass in the distance, something gave way and fell beneath us.

Then again.

Then there were several thuds, followed by a rumble that was unmistakable--falling masonry; it was the noise that bricks make when they dump them from a tip-cart, only smothered by the thickness of the cavern floor.

I shook Suliman again.
"Come on.