The sky gradually darkened, and Chen Ke emerged from the other end of the alley, returning to the street.
The indigo hue filled the firmament, leaving behind a touch of crimson in the west, while the small moon played hide and seek in the eastern sky.
The number of pedestrians on the street had dwindled significantly, and the occasional empty carriage sped by, as everyone seemed to be in a hurry to get home.
Chen Ke also noticed that there were an unusually large number of patrolling sheriffs. They moved in groups of more than a dozen, from one end of the street to the other, as if they were on guard against something.
He hurried towards the building that Jacob and the children had temporarily stayed in during his last visit, hoping it had not yet been demolished, and that he might encounter them there.
After nightfall, Langdon grew somewhat colder, and the air was mixed with a sickly sweet odor from the combination of mud and garbage.
