¤$*:«-.... ....-«:*$¤
$*:«-..... .....-«:*$
*:«-...... ......-«:*
:«-....... .......-«:
«-........ ........-«
-......... 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?" .........-
.......... ..........
-......... .........-
«-........ ........-«
:«-....... .......-«:
*:«-...... ......-«:*