**^«,..... .....,«^**
@**^«,.... ....,«^**@
#@**^«,... ...,«^**@#
##@**^«,.. ..,«^**@##
###@**^«,. .,«^**@###
##@**^«,.. 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?" ..,«^**@##
###@**^«,. .,«^**@###
##@**^«,.. ..,«^**@##
#@**^«,... ...,«^**@#
@**^«,.... ....,«^**@
**^«,..... .....,«^**