Amur

Šestog jutra, vlak je bio na Dalekom istoku Rusije. Šuma se promijenila. Sada su tu bile korejske borovine, mandžurski jasen i mongolski hrast. Šuma je djelovala bliže. Ovo je jedna od najvlažnijih šuma na svijetu izvan tropa.

On the sixth morning, the train was in the Russian Far East. The forest had changed. There were now Korean pine, Manchurian ash, and Mongolian oak. The forest felt closer. This is one of the wettest forests in the world outside the tropics.

Polly je bila sama u kupeu. Pavel je otišao. Vojnik se preselio.

Polly was alone in the compartment. Pavel had left. The soldier had moved.

Teretni vlak prošao je u suprotnom smjeru. Bio je dug dva kilometra. Prevozio je drvo. Polly je izbrojala trideset i osam vagona.

A freight train passed in the other direction. It was two kilometres long. It carried timber. Polly counted thirty-eight flatbeds.

Vlak je stigao u Habarovsk. Grad je na rijeci Amur. Amur je osma najduža rijeka na svijetu. To je granica između Rusije i Kine. Polly je mogla vidjeti Kinu preko rijeke kroz izmaglicu.

The train arrived at Khabarovsk. The city is on the Amur River. The Amur is the eighth-longest river in the world. It is the border between Russia and China. Polly could see China across the river through the haze.

Izašla je iz vlaka da protegne noge.

She got off the train to stretch her legs.

Ždral je stajao na rubu močvare. Bio je crno-bijel s crvenim oko oka. Bio je visok gotovo dva metra. Ovo je ždral s Dalekog istoka Rusije. Jedan je od najrjeđih ždralova na svijetu. Ostalo ih je samo oko tri tisuće.

A crane was standing at the edge of a marsh. It was black and white with red around the eye. It was nearly two metres tall. This is the Russian Far East crane. It is one of the rarest cranes in the world. Only about three thousand are left.

Polly je nagnula glavu. Ždral je nagnuo glavu natrag. Gledali su jedno drugo.

Polly tilted her head. The crane tilted its head back. They watched each other.

Kondukter je puhnuo u zviždaljku. Polly je poskočila natrag u vlak. Okrenula se i pogledala. Ždral je polako podigao vrat. Otišao je u močvaru.

A conductor blew a whistle. Polly hopped back to the train. She turned and looked. The crane lifted its neck slowly. It walked away into the marsh.

Vlak je skrenuo prema jugu. Pacifik je sada bio manje od 700 kilometara daleko.

The train turned south. The Pacific was now less than 700 kilometres away.