££%§;=~... ...~=;§%££
£%§;=~.... ....~=;§%£
££%§;=~... ...~=;§%££
@££%§;=~.. ..~=;§%££@
#@££%§;=~. .~=;§%££@#
@££%§;=~.. 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?" ..~=;§%££@
££%§;=~... ...~=;§%££
£%§;=~.... ....~=;§%£
££%§;=~... ...~=;§%££
@££%§;=~.. ..~=;§%££@
#@££%§;=~. .~=;§%££@#