A moment of leaden silence passed, then the captain straightened his shoulders with an effort and sat up in his seat.

For several seconds, a leaden silence fell over the three men.

A leaden silence fell over the room, making the tick-tack of the grandfather clock seem much louder than it was.

He tried to relieve the leaden silence that followed by making such insipid remarks as, "This is the worst fog I've ever seen."

I've set them on the road to a terrible future, he thought in leaden silence, but what else couM I do?

Zhaneel said, into the leaden silence.

As he came in the front door leaden silence greeted him.

The cathedral bells tolled Lauds in the leaden, predawn silence before their plans were complete and the three retired for a few hours' much-needed sleep.

Blue bit back a retort and leaden silence descended.

"Okay," he said into the thick, leaden silence.