##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
¶¤¤///»... 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?" ..»/%¤#¶##
##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
¶##¤¤%/».. ..»/%¤¤##¶
#¤%/...... ....../%¤#
##¶#¤%/».. ..»/%¤#¶##
####¤%/».. ..»/%¤####