###£*§^-^. .^-^§*£###
#££§-..... .....-§££#
###£*§^-^. .^-^§*£###
##**§-.... ....-§**##
###£*§^-^. .^-^§*£###
#*^^^--^.. 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?" ....^^^§§£
####£*^-^. .^-^*£####
###£*§^-^. .^-^§*£###
#£***§^-^. .^-^§***£#
###£*§^-^. .^-^§*£###
#£££*§^-^. .^-^§*£££#