.,=/=$§¶@@ @@¶§$=/=,.
......,/$¶ ¶$/,......
.,=/=$§¶@# #@¶§$=/=,.
...,=/$$§¶ ¶§$$/=,...
.....=/$§@ @§$/=.....
.,=///$§§¶ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ¶§§$///=,.
.....,===§ 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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