####$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$####
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
##@#$%^»~¨ IN  THE  ENDLESS  WINTER   DAY,  ON  THE ¨~»^%$#@##
#$%%^~¨¨¨¨ CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE  ALONG ¨¨¨¨~^%%$#
##@#$%^»~¨   THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY  ¨~»^%$#@##
###%%^~¨¨¨ SNOWED OVER,  IN  THE  STILL HOURS SINCE ¨¨¨~^%%###
#%»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨          THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»%#
@@@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@@@
#@@#$%^»~¨     BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING     ¨~»^%$#@@#
#$%^~¨¨¨¨¨ GROUND.  RIFLES  ATTACHED TO OUR  WRIST, ¨¨¨¨¨~^%$#
##@#$%^»~¨ SHARING IN OUR  BLOODSTREAM.  MY  HUSKY, ¨~»^%$#@##
@@$^~~~~¨¨      MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW...      ¨¨~~~~^$@@
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
@#$$^^»¨¨¨ THE  FIRST  FIVE  SHOTS  YOU  CAN  SPEND ¨¨¨»^^$$#@
@#%%%»~¨¨¨ INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT  DEAL NO ¨¨¨~»%%%#@
@$^~¨¨¨¨¨¨ LONG TIME  DAMAGE TO  THE  SHOOTER.  THE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~^$@
##$$^^^»~¨ NEXT  FIVE YOU  MUST SPEND WISELY,  THEY ¨~»^^^$$##
##%^~¨¨¨¨¨ WILL TAKE DAYS TO  HEAL. THE  FINAL FIVE ¨¨¨¨¨~^%##
##@#$%^»~¨ YOU   MUST    NOT    SPEND    AT    ALL. ¨~»^%$#@##
@@$^^~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~^^$@@
###@$%^»~¨ WEEKS EARLIER,  IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, ¨~»^%$@###
##@#$%^»~¨ IN  THE  BLUE-GRAY FOG...  SOMETHING  IS ¨~»^%$#@##
###@$%^»~¨ BURNING  WITH  A   DEEP  CRIMSON  FLAME, ¨~»^%$@###
##@#$%^»~¨       UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND.       ¨~»^%$#@##
###@#%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%#@###
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
##@#$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$#@##
@@##$%^»~¨                                          ¨~»^%$##@@
#@$$%^~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~^%$$@#