####&$*=-. .-=*$&####
###&$*=-.. ..-=*$&###
##&$*=-... ...-=*$&##
#&$*=-.... ....-=*$&#
&$*=-..... .....-=*$&
$*=-...... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ......-=*$
*=-....... 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 .......-=*
$*=-...... DETOUR?" ......-=*$
&$*=-..... .....-=*$&
#&$*=-.... ....-=*$&#
##&$*=-... ...-=*$&##
###&$*=-.. ..-=*$&###
####&$*=-. .-=*$&####