@¤%*\,.... ....,\*%¤@
##¤*»,,,.. ..,,,»*¤##
##@#¤*\»,. .,»\*¤#@##
#@#¤%*\»,. .,»\*%¤#@#
@@#¤%*\»,. .,»\*%¤#@@
#@#¤%*\»,. 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?" .,»\*%¤#@#
#@#¤%*\»,. .,»\*%¤#@#
#@#¤%*\»,. .,»\*%¤#@#
#@#¤%*\»,. .,»\*%¤#@#
#@#¤%*\»,. .,»\*%¤#@#
##@#¤%*\», ,»\*%¤#@##