##¶&¤=†«,. .,«†=¤&¶##
##¶&¤=†«,. .,«†=¤&¶##
¶¤††««,... ...,««††¤¶
&==«...... ......«==&
###¶&=†«,. .,«†=&¶###
###&¤=†«,. 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?" .,«†=¤&¶##
##¶&¤=†«,. .,«†=¤&¶##
##¶&¤=†«,. .,«†=¤&¶##
##¶&¤=†«,. .,«†=¤&¶##
&&&¤††,... ...,††¤&&&
##¶&¤=†«,. .,«†=¤&¶##