#@$*:»,... ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. CIGARETTES. .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... ############################## ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... ############################## .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. CALL?" ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... FEW TIMES. ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ...,»:*$@#
##@$*:»,.. SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ..,»:*$@##
###@$*:»,. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A .,»:*$@###
##@$*:»,.. DETOUR?" ..,»:*$@##
#@$*:»,... ...,»:*$@#
@$*:»,.... ....,»:*$@
$*:»,..... .....,»:*$
@$*:»,.... ....,»:*$@
#@$*:»,... ...,»:*$@#