§§§§§^*-., ,.-*^§§§§§
##@§§^*-., ,.-*^§§@##
@§§^-,,,,, ,,,,,-^§§@
##@§§^*-., ,.-*^§§@##
§§^-.,,,,, ,,,,,.-^§§
#@§§§^*-., 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?" ,.-*^§§@##
##@§§^*-., ,.-*^§§@##
§§§§§^*-., ,.-*^§§§§§
###@§§^*-. .-*^§§@###
§^-.,,,,,, ,,,,,,.-^§
##@§§^*-., ,.-*^§§@##