#..#..##.# #..#..##..
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#..#..#.## #.##....##
##..#...## ..###...#.
###..#..#. 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?" ..###..#..
..###....# ..#.##..#.
..#.##.... ....###..#
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.#..#.##.. ##....###.
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