#*\\\,,,,. .,,,,\\\*#
##@£§*\=,. .,=\*§£@##
#@£#§*\=,. .,=\*§#£@#
#@£#§*\=,. .,=\*§#£@#
£££#§*\=,. .,=\*§#£££
£#**=..... 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?" .,=\*§£@##
##@#§*\=,. .,=\*§#@##
#*\=...... ......=\*#
##*\=,.... ....,=\*##
@##*\,.... ....,\*##@
##£#§*\=,. .,=\*§#£##