§§^~...... ......~^§§
§^~....... .......~^§
^~........ ........~^
~......... .........~
.......... ..........
.......... 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?" .....~^§§§
§§^~...... ......~^§§
§^~....... .......~^§
^~........ ........~^
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