@@&&$§\»-. .-»\§$&&@@
&$\-...... ......-\$&
#@@&$§\»-. .-»\§$&@@#
#@@&$§\»-. .-»\§$&@@#
@$\\»-.... ....-»\\$@
@$\»...... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ......»\$@
#@@&$§\»-. 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 ...»\\\§&@
#@@&$§\»-. DETOUR?" .-»\§$&@@#
##@&$§\»-. .-»\§$&@##
##@&$§\»-. .-»\§$&@##
@@@&$§\»-. .-»\§$&@@@
@@$\»..... .....»\$@@
#@@&$§\»-. .-»\§$&@@#