*:»^...... ......^»:*
§*:»^..... .....^»:*§
¤§*:»^.... ....^»:*§¤
¶¤§*:»^... ...^»:*§¤¶
#¶¤§*:»^.. ..^»:*§¤¶#
##¶¤§*:»^. 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?" ...^»:*§¤¶
#¶¤§*:»^.. ..^»:*§¤¶#
##¶¤§*:»^. .^»:*§¤¶##
#¶¤§*:»^.. ..^»:*§¤¶#
¶¤§*:»^... ...^»:*§¤¶
¤§*:»^.... ....^»:*§¤