Chapter 44 Summary

The Water Board assigns H and his classmates to work on the water supply system. The work mainly consists of locating leaks in the water mains among the ruins of the area and cutting off the water supply. Armed with picks and shovels, they work in groups of three, digging through tiles and plaster from walls that collapsed in the fires, looking for the main tap at each site. Work is to be suspended if it rains, so the students keep their eyes on the sky.

Soon, heavy rain begins to fall, causing H and the other two members of his group to run quickly to a nearby lean-to connected to the wall of a gutted building. As they dive into the darkness, they see two pairs of eyes staring back at them. An elderly man and his grandson are crouching in the...