£¤*~~~,,,, ,,,,~~~*¤£
£#¤¤¤$*~-, ,-~*$¤¤¤#£
##£#¤$*~-, ,-~*$¤#£##
£¤¤$~-,,,, ,,,,-~$¤¤£
#¤***--,,, ,,,--***¤#
####¤$*~-, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,-~*$¤####
£#$$~~~~-, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,-~~~~$$#£
#£#$~~~,,, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,,,~~~$#£#
##£#¤$*~-, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,-~*$¤#£##
#££#¤$*~-, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,-~*$¤#££#
£#¤¤***~-, 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 ,,,,-**¤#£
#£#¤$*-,,, DETOUR?" ,,,-*$¤#£#
##£#¤$*~-, ,-~*$¤#£##
##£#¤$*~-, ,-~*$¤#£##
##£#¤$*~-, ,-~*$¤#£##
##£#¤$*~-, ,-~*$¤#£##
£¤¤$~,,,,, ,,,,,~$¤¤£