The southern edge of the town. Entire families had crammed into the makeshift facilities behind the shops' broad plate-glass windows the oldest relatives sitting amongst the bleached displays like flesh-sculpture buddhas watching the world go by. Not all of the old retail businesses had gone under: there was still a hotel a couple of butchers a recently dc-nationalized bank and a century-old family gear business that had survived; but most of the town's trade had been usurped by the thriving High... read more
