T here were four of us traveling through a landscape much like this one, 
except that instead of stumps, all the trees were burned. The particular part 
of the world had become dark and cold for a while after the comet struck, so 
that many of the plants and trees died; and after they died, they dried out, 
and then it was just a matter of time before lightning caused a great forest 
fire. The four of us were traveling across this great burned-out country 
looking for food, and you can guess we were very hungry. Never mind why we were 
doing it; back then, if things got bad where you were, you just got up and went 
until things got better.