.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... 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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=*-....... .......-*=
@=*-...... ......-*=@