Shire had always thought that the airplane was flying within the clouds, although he had noticed that the scent in the clouds was somewhat unusual.
Soon, the pilot lowered the altitude and pierced through the heavy fog, suddenly the fire from exploding shells seemed to appear right below, and the sound even shook the wings a bit. Only then did Shire realize that the "clouds" were actually smoke, the smoke from artillery shells.
"Look!" the pilot exclaimed excitedly, "We are here, ahead is Antwerp!"
Shire wanted to see what Antwerp looked like from the air, but he was disappointed. Below, besides the occasional flicker of firelight, nothing could be seen. The smoke and ash filled the sky, blocking out even the slightest bit of light. Though it was morning, it seemed more like nighttime.
The plane continued to lower its altitude, which made Shire worry that the whistling shells passing below might hit them. Nearby, there were even visible lines drawn by the shells.
