###@¤$==«. .«==$¤@###
##@¤$==«.. ..«==$¤@##
#@¤$==«... ...«==$¤@#
@¤$==«.... ....«==$¤@
¤$==«..... .....«==$¤
$==«...... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ......«==$
==«....... 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?" ........«=
«......... .........«
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........