###@¤*†=-. .-=†*¤@###
###@¤*†=-. .-=†*¤@###
###@¤*†=-. .-=†*¤@###
#¤†--..... .....--†¤#
@¤**†††=-. .-=†††**¤@
##@¤¤*†=-. 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?" .-=†*¤@@@#
###@¤*†=-. .-=†*¤@###
#@@¤¤*†=-. .-=†*¤¤@@#
@@**===... ...===**@@
###@¤*†=-. .-=†*¤@###
###@¤*†=-. .-=†*¤@###