##¶§**^«,, ,,«^**§¶##
¶¶§*««,,,, ,,,,««*§¶¶
§*^,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,^*§
##¶§**^«,, ,,«^**§¶##
##¶§**^«,, ,,«^**§¶##
##¶§**^«,, 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?" ,,,,,,«**§
##¶§**^«,, ,,«^**§¶##
¶*^««,,,,, ,,,,,««^*¶
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