NIT WORKS at the trash heap putting out fires. She didn't go to firefighter school, but ever since the landfill was relocated to her town twelve years ago, so many fires break out that they need her. She makes up for her lack of training with her enthusiasm. She wanted to become a regular firefighter, but the fire department wouldn't hire a woman. Putting out trash heap fires is her only shot. She treasures her uniform, a jumpsuit she sewed herself. She chose an olive fabric to contrast with the orange flames. She hangs it on her wall so it is the first thing she sees when she wakes up and the last thing she sees before she falls asleep.
Nit is the only firefighter who is fit enough to climb to the top of the heap. The easiest route is up the side with the Lime scooters, but the quicker route involves climbing the fast-food slime. The rest of the firefighters use this route to slide down. Sometimes, as Nit works, she finds children climbing on the heap. They like the landfill because it is full of shiny robot toys, often with batteries still in. There are so many American toys in the landfill it looks like a playground. Who could blame the children for sneaking in? The trash heap is the most interesting attraction in the town. She leads the children back to their homes and promises to collect the best toys for them. The kids call her Auntie Firefighter. This is the closest she will come to having children.
Nit's mind is always on her work. Being on all the time allows her to be good at her job. She's won an award this year—Most Fires Put Out at the Top of the Trash Heap. She likes having a job that is making a
