#.#.#...## .....#....
.....#..#. ......#...
......#... .......#..
.......#.. #.......#.
........#. .#.......#
#........# 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. ...###....
...#....## #..#.##...
....#...#. ##...###..
.....#.... ###..#.##.
......#... #.##...###
#......#.. ..###..#.#