,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» »^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^»= =»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^»=% %=»^,,,,,,
,,,,,^»=%& &%=»^,,,,,
,,,,^»=%&£ 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?" £&%=»^,,,,
,,,^»=%&£# #£&%=»^,,,
,,^»=%&£#@ @#£&%=»^,,
,^»=%&£#@# #@#£&%=»^,
,,^»=%&£#@ @#£&%=»^,,
,,,^»=%&£# #£&%=»^,,,