-^........ ........^-
:-^....... .......^-:
$:-^...... ......^-:$
%$:-^..... .....^-:$%
&%$:-^.... ....^-:$%&
#&%$:-^... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ...^-:$%&#
@#&%$:-^.. ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ..^-:$%&#@
#@#&%$:-^. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND .^-:$%&#@#
@#&%$:-^.. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ..^-:$%&#@
#&%$:-^... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ...^-:$%&#
&%$:-^.... CIGARETTES. ....^-:$%&
%$:-^..... .....^-:$%
$:-^...... ############################## ......^-:$
:-^....... .......^-:
-^........ 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 .......^-:
$:-^...... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ......^-:$
%$:-^..... SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS .....^-:$%
&%$:-^.... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ....^-:$%&
#&%$:-^... DETOUR?" ...^-:$%&#
@#&%$:-^.. ..^-:$%&#@
#@#&%$:-^. .^-:$%&#@#
@#&%$:-^.. ..^-:$%&#@
#&%$:-^... ...^-:$%&#
&%$:-^.... ....^-:$%&