,,:«*%&&@# #@&&%*«:,,
,,,:«*%&&@ @&&%*«:,,,
,,,,:«*%&& &&%*«:,,,,
,,,,,:«*%& &%*«:,,,,,
,,,,,,:«*% %*«:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:«* 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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,,,,,,,,:« «:,,,,,,,,