"Alone, thought Bittering. Only a thousand of us here. No way back. No way. No way. Ever. Sweat poured from his face and his han
ds and his body; he was drenched in the hotness of his fear. He wanted to strike Laura, cry out, 'No! You're lying!' but he just melted back against the wall instead." (Ray Bradbury, "Dark They Were and Golden Eyed")
Which words from the passage reveal the writer's defeated tone?
