###&&==«:. .:«==&&###
##&&==«:.. ..:«==&&##
#&&==«:... ...:«==&&#
&&==«:.... ....:«==&&
#&&==«:... ...:«==&&#
##&&==«:.. 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?" ..:«==&&##
###&&==«:. .:«==&&###
##&&==«:.. ..:«==&&##
#&&==«:... ...:«==&&#
&&==«:.... ....:«==&&
#&&==«:... ...:«==&&#