&§^---.... ....---^§&
&^^=...... ......=^^&
&&&§^===-. .-===^§&&&
##¶&§^^=-. .-=^^§&¶##
##¶&§^^=-. .-=^^§&¶##
##¶&§^^=-. 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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