&¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
¨¨¨¨&¨¨&&&                                          ¨&&&&&&&¨¨
&&&¨¨¨¨¨&&                                          ¨¨&&&&&¨¨&
&&¨¨&&&¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&&                                          &&¨¨&¨¨&&¨
&&&&¨¨¨¨¨& 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.       &&¨¨&¨¨&&&
&&&¨¨&&&&¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&&
&&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨                                          &&&&&&&¨¨&
&¨¨&&¨¨¨¨¨                                          &&&&&&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&&                                          &&&&&¨¨&&¨
&&&&&¨¨&&¨                                          ¨&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨