...,~**# ##&**~,...
.,~***## ###&***~,.
....,*** #&***,....
.,~***## ###&***~,.
.,~***## ###&***~,.
.,~***## 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?" #&&&***~,.
.,~***## ###&***~,.
......,~*& &*~,......
..,~*****# #*****~,..
.,~***## ###&***~,.
.....,**&& &&**,.....