Up The Devil's Nose

Sweezus meanwhile has made his way to the station.

About time, says Arthur. Let's get on the train.

The other passengers are middle aged women, in holiday attire, and one or two middle aged men with bulging bumbags.

Shit, says Sweezus. What are we in for?

I know it looks bad, says Arthur. But trust me.

They get on the train.

Toot toot!

The Devil's Nose or Nariz del Diablo is the mountain up which they now go.

The sides of the Nariz are almost perpendicular. The track zigzags, up steep nasal ascents.

The middle aged women take photos.

They used to let passengers ride on the roof, says a woman.

Scheise! says her companion. But there are no railings!

Not necessary these days, Lotte, says the woman. Rooftop riding is banned.

I imagine the young people would have been disappointed, says Lotte.

Lotte taps Sweezus on the shoulder.

He turns around.

How would you have liked to ride on the roof of the train? asks Lotte.

Yeah, says Sweezus. I'm visualising it now.

You look familiar, says Lotte. I know. The Sea Salt!

That's us, says Sweezus. This is Arthur. He came up with the idea.

Arthur briefly stops plotting how to get up on the roof with impunity.

Inge and I would love to buy some of your Sea Salt, says Lotte.

Okay, says Arthur. Seventy dollars. Have you got your own packaging?

Lotte rummages in her embroidered shoulder bag.

How about this? says Lotte.

She smoothes out a crumpled up tissue.

Sweezus is grateful that Arthur is doling out the Sea Salt. Yuck, an old woman's crumpled up tissue. Full of dried snot or worse....

Arthur doesn't care. He doles out a few grains of Sea Salt. The train jolts. Jolt! And a few more grains of Sea Salt are spilled on his board shorts.

He brushes them off. They fall to the floor of the train in the shape of an exclamation mark.

Whose future is this?

We shall see.

.........

The train stops at a station. Puruhás dressed in ethnic costumes dance on the platform. Hats and bright red skirts. That sort of thing.

Here the passengers learn a snippet or two of the Puruhá traditions and world view.

It's a harsh life. They grow crops and raise guinea pigs.

Lotte and Inge join in the dancing.

What a lovely meeting of cultures.

Toot toot. Time to get back on the train.

Lotte and Inge sit in the same seats that they had before.

But Arthur and Sweezus are perched somewhere different.