.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
~......... .........~
«~........ ........~«
†«~....... 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?" .....~«†*§
#§*†«~.... ....~«†*§#
##§*†«~... ...~«†*§##
###§*†«~.. ..~«†*§###
####§*†«~. .~«†*§####
###§*†«~.. ..~«†*§###