.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
-......... .........-
=-........ ........-=
*=-....... 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 .......-=*
$*=-...... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ......-=*$
%$*=-..... DETOUR?" .....-=*$%
&%$*=-.... ....-=*$%&
@&%$*=-... ...-=*$%&@
#@&%$*=-.. ..-=*$%&@#
##@&%$*=-. .-=*$%&@##
#@&%$*=-.. ..-=*$%&@#