,,»^§$§### ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### ###§$§^»,,
,,,,»»§§§# #§§§»»,,,,
,,,,»§§§§# #§§§§»,,,,
,,,,»^^§$§ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING §$§^^»,,,,
,,»^§$§### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ###§$§^»,,
,,,,»»»»§§ 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 §§»,,,,,,,
,,»^§$§### ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$§### DETOUR?" ###§$§^»,,
,,»^$§#### ####§$^»,,
,,»^§$§### ###§$§^»,,
,,»^^^$§§# #§§$^^^»,,
,,»^§$§### ###§$§^»,,
,,»^§$$$§# #§$$$§^»,,