..:«†*¤### ###¤*†«:..
...:«†*¤## ##¤*†«:...
....:«†*¤# #¤*†«:....
.....:«†*¤ ¤*†«:.....
......:«†* *†«:......
.......:«† 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?" ¤*†«:.....
......:«†* *†«:......
.......:«† †«:.......
........:« «:........
.......:«† †«:.......
......:«†* *†«:......