####£*:«:.                                          .:«:*£####
###£*:«:..                                          ..:«:*£###
##£*:«:...                                          ...:«:*£##
#£*:«:....                                          ....:«:*£#
£*:«:.....                                          .....:«:*£
*:«:...... 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.       .........:
..........                                          ..........
:.........                                          .........:
«:........                                          ........:«
:«:.......                                          .......:«:
*:«:......                                          ......:«:*