......«=$¤ ¤$=«......
.....«=$¤@ @¤$=«.....
....«=$¤@@ @@¤$=«....
...«=$¤@@# #@@¤$=«...
..«=$¤@@## ##@@¤$=«..
...«=$¤@@# ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #@@¤$=«...
....«=$¤@@ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME @@¤$=«....
.....«=$¤@ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND @¤$=«.....
......«=$¤ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ¤$=«......
.......«=$ 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?" $=«.......
......«=$¤ ¤$=«......
.....«=$¤@ @¤$=«.....
....«=$¤@@ @@¤$=«....
...«=$¤@@# #@@¤$=«...
..«=$¤@@## ##@@¤$=«..