we 'll still go after them , we 'll still- '' and then there 's a sudden shriek in the air above us , whipping by like a bullet and- -the whole hillside explodes outwards like a volcano of dust and fire and the blast wave knocks me and the mayor and angharrad down to the ground and a hail of pebbles splatters down on top of us , big boulders landing nearby that could smash us flat- `` what ? ! ''