Bologue reluctantly imagines the scene: the Holy City engulfed in complete chaos, with its high walls on the brink of collapse. Yet, the scholars chose not to escape but rather to perish alongside the city and King Solomon.
Saqin was likely the most esteemed among them. In the banquet hall, he held the Last Supper, joining hands with the other scholars, uttering their final prayers.
"They didn't die of hunger."
Bologue remarked involuntarily, as if struck by inspiration. He continued, "I've seen real hunger, Aimou. In the trenches, we were often so starved we'd catch rats. But these people were different."
Turning his gaze to the disarrayed banquet hall, Bologue recalled the details, "Their bodies are so orderly, with no signs of struggle among them before death..."
"Either they died elsewhere and their bodies were moved here, arranged in this hand-holding posture, or they sat here together, holding hands, then simultaneously met their demise."
