@$^†-,.... ....,-†^$@
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
^†-,...... ......,-†^
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
@$^†-,.... ....,-†^$@
#@$^†-,... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ...,-†^$@#
##@$^†-,.. ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ..,-†^$@##
###@$^†-,. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND .,-†^$@###
##@$^†-,.. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ..,-†^$@##
#@$^†-,... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ...,-†^$@#
@$^†-,.... CIGARETTES. ....,-†^$@
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
^†-,...... ############################## ......,-†^
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
@$^†-,.... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ....,-†^$@
#@$^†-,... THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ...,-†^$@#
##@$^†-,.. FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ..,-†^$@##
###@$^†-,. TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, .,-†^$@###
##@$^†-,.. MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ..,-†^$@##
#@$^†-,... LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ...,-†^$@#
@$^†-,.... THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ....,-†^$@
$^†-,..... ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL .....,-†^$
^†-,...... 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. ......,-†^
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
@$^†-,.... I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ....,-†^$@
#@$^†-,... KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ...,-†^$@#
##@$^†-,.. ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ..,-†^$@##
###@$^†-,. SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS .,-†^$@###
##@$^†-,.. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ..,-†^$@##
#@$^†-,... DETOUR?" ...,-†^$@#
@$^†-,.... ....,-†^$@
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
^†-,...... ......,-†^
$^†-,..... .....,-†^$
@$^†-,.... ....,-†^$@