and the fear was on the avenue and there was fear in the throngs and the fear puddled and cuddled in an asphalt crater , and then people stepped on the avenue and there were other craters , and each slurring crater splashed the fear high in the air when its time came , skyward , and the happy children played and splashed around in the fear and the adults nodded contentedly and took their showers in public while waiting to be allowed inside the gray building .