,,,-»:*£&# #&£*:»-,,,
,,,,-»:*£& &£*:»-,,,,
,,,,,-»:*£ £*:»-,,,,,
,,,,,,-»:* *:»-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-»: :»-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-»:* 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?" ##&£*:»-,,
,,,-»:*£&# #&£*:»-,,,
,,,,-»:*£& &£*:»-,,,,
,,,,,-»:*£ £*:»-,,,,,
,,,,,,-»:* *:»-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-»: :»-,,,,,,,