An air of tragedy and loss hung over Hong Kong's financial community yesterday as bankers and brokers struggled to come to terms with the carnage of Tuesday's attack.
For many, the agony of watching the horror unfold on their television screens had now been replaced by the agony of waiting.
Waiting to hear if colleagues, clients and friends were still alive.
Capturing the mood, which silenced many analysts who felt it would be inappropriate to talk business, was the note with which Barclays Capital kicked off its daily report Asian Strategy Snapshot.
Calling the attack the most shocking event of all, Barclays said: 'It appears grotesque to talk about market and economic policy trends in the wake of the terrorist attack on the US, when the tragedy is still so fresh and as yet unquantifiable.'
But business needs to carry on - even if it's not quite the same as before.