......,-:§ §:-,......
.....,-:§$ $§:-,.....
....,-:§$¶ ¶$§:-,....
...,-:§$¶# #¶$§:-,...
..,-:§$¶## ##¶$§:-,..
.,-:§$¶### 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?" #¶$§:-,...
..,-:§$¶## ##¶$§:-,..
.,-:§$¶### ###¶$§:-,.
..,-:§$¶## ##¶$§:-,..
...,-:§$¶# #¶$§:-,...
....,-:§$¶ ¶$§:-,....