,-«*%¤#@## ##@#¤%*«-,
,,-«*%¤#@# #@#¤%*«-,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ @#¤%*«-,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ ¤%*«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*% ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING %*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, CIGARETTES. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- ############################## -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*% THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE %*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ¤%*«-,,,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR @#¤%*«-,,,
,,-«*%¤#@# LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS #@#¤%*«-,,
,-«*%¤#@## THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ##@#¤%*«-,
,,-«*%¤#@# ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL #@#¤%*«-,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK @#¤%*«-,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ¤%*«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*% %*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*% MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING %*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ¤%*«-,,,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ ############################## @#¤%*«-,,,
,,-«*%¤#@# #@#¤%*«-,,
,-«*%¤#@## WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ##@#¤%*«-,
,,-«*%¤#@# KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY #@#¤%*«-,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A @#¤%*«-,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# CALL?" #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ ¤%*«-,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*% AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL %*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- FEW TIMES. -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-« «-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-«* I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME *«-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-«*% KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS %*«-,,,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ¤%*«-,,,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A @#¤%*«-,,,
,,-«*%¤#@# DETOUR?" #@#¤%*«-,,
,-«*%¤#@## ##@#¤%*«-,
,,-«*%¤#@# #@#¤%*«-,,
,,,-«*%¤#@ @#¤%*«-,,,
,,,,-«*%¤# #¤%*«-,,,,
,,,,,-«*%¤ ¤%*«-,,,,,