#.......## .#...#.#.#
##......#. ..#......#
.##....... #..#.....#
.###...... ##..#.....
.#.##..... ###..#....
...###.... 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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.##....... #..#.....#