Vladivostok

On the seventh morning, the train was due into Vladivostok. The Moscow clock said 06:15. The local clock said 13:15. Polly woke at first light.

På den syvende morgen skulle toget ankomme til Vladivostok. Moskva-uret viste 06:15. Det lokale ur viste 13:15. Polly vågnede ved det første lys.

The forest outside had become low hills and grass. The Pacific was ahead. She could feel it.

Skoven udenfor var blevet til lave bakker og græs. Stillehavet lå foran. Hun kunne mærke det.

The last stop before Vladivostok was Ussuriysk. The train stopped for fifteen minutes. Polly hopped down. A woman was selling smoked fish. Polly tried a piece. The woman wrapped it and refused payment.

Det sidste stop før Vladivostok var Ussuriysk. Toget holdt pause i femten minutter. Polly hoppede ned. En kvinde solgte røget fisk. Polly smagte et stykke. Kvinden pakkede det ind og nægtede betaling.

The Pacific appeared on the right side of the train. It was grey and bright.

Stillehavet dukkede op på højre side af toget. Det var gråt og klart.

Vladivostok arrived all at once. The city sits in hills that come down to the sea. The train ended right at the harbour.

Vladivostok kom pludseligt til syne. Byen ligger i bakker, der går ned til havet. Toget endte lige ved havnen.

The Moscow clock read 06:23. The local clock read 13:23.

Moskva-uret viste 06:23. Det lokale ur viste 13:23.

Polly hopped down. Vladivostok smelled of fish and rust and salt. Steep streets came down to the docks.

Polly hoppede ned. Vladivostok duftede af fisk, rust og salt. Stejle gader førte ned til kajerne.

At the end of the platform was a small white obelisk. It read: KILOMETRE 9,289. The end of the line.

For enden af perronen stod en lille hvid obelisk. Der stod: KILOMETER 9.289. Enden af linjen.

Polly stood at the obelisk for a long minute. Seven days. Twenty-five million years of Lake Baikal. One crane. Eight time zones.

Polly stod ved obelisken i et langt minut. Syv dage. Femogtyve millioner år af Bajkalsøen. En kran. Otte tidszoner.

She stretched her wings. The Pacific was just past the harbour wall. She lifted off. She flew over the cranes of the port. The Sea of Japan opened in front of her.

Hun strakte sine vinger. Stillehavet var lige forbi havnemuren. Hun lettede. Hun fløj over havnens kraner. Japanske Hav åbnede sig foran hende.