###¤&*†«^. .^«†*&¤###
##¤¤&*†«^. .^«†*&¤¤##
#¤****†«^. .^«†****¤#
###¤&*†«^. .^«†*&¤###
#¤¤&**†«^. .^«†**&¤¤#
###¤&*†«^. 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?" .^«†***&##
###¤&*†«^. .^«†*&¤###
¤&*«^..... .....^«*&¤
###¤&*†«^. .^«†*&¤###
###¤&*†«^. .^«†*&¤###
¤&&&†««^.. ..^««†&&&¤