###¶§=:-~, ,~-:=§¶###
§=--~,,,,, ,,,,,~--=§
#¶¤===:-~, ,~-:===¤¶#
§¤::~~,,,, ,,,,~~::¤§
§¤::--~,,, ,,,~--::¤§
##¶§¤=:-~, 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?" ,~-:=¤§¶##
#¶¶§¤=:-~, ,~-:=¤§¶¶#
#¶§¤:-~,,, ,,,~-:¤§¶#
#§§¤:~~,,, ,,,~~:¤§§#
#§§§¤=:-~, ,~-:=¤§§§#
#¶¤=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=¤¶#