###&¤%\«:, ,:«\%¤&###
###&¤%\«:, ,:«\%¤&###
###&¤%\«:, ,:«\%¤&###
###&¤%\«:, ,:«\%¤&###
#&¤%\::,,, ,,,::\%¤&#
####¤%\«:, 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?" ,:«\%%%¤##
###&¤%\«:, ,:«\%¤&###
#&¤¤¤%\«:, ,:«\%¤¤¤&#
&&&%%%\«:, ,:«\%%%&&&
&¤¤\\«::,, ,,::«\\¤¤&
#&&%«::,,, ,,,::«%&&#