*^»^...... ......^»^*
^»^....... .......^»^
»^........ ........^»
^»^....... .......^»^
*^»^...... ......^»^*
@*^»^..... 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?" .......^»^
*^»^...... ......^»^*
@*^»^..... .....^»^*@
§@*^»^.... ....^»^*@§
#§@*^»^... ...^»^*@§#
@#§@*^»^.. ..^»^*@§#@