###&$$:~^. .^~:$$##
####&$:~^. .^~:$###
####$$:~^. .^~:$$####
###&$$:~^. .^~:$$##
###&$$:~^. .^~:$$##
&$$$$:^^.. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ..^^:$$$$&
###&$$:~^. 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 .^~:$$##
&$:~^..... DETOUR?" .....^~:$&
###&$$:~^. .^~:$$##
###&$$:~^. .^~:$$##
#&&&$$:~^. .^~:$$&&
#$$$$::~^. .^~::$$$$#
###&$$:~^. .^~:$$##