Coda

Cockroaches survived, and some people, who are cockroaches plus presumption, but not much else. Grass burned or grew unnibbled; forests decayed; oceans lolled to and fro, breakerless.

Twelve months after, a crab came to shore. The news reported that, and then another, another, so it could not be a fluke, and so the people came. These survivors tented on beaches for weeks or months, and if they were very good or very lucky or prayed enough to their gods, a crab might scuttle ashore. The watchers would hush. They would hoist the few children to see. They would gaze on the claws and bead eyes, weep, remember the world.