##¤@†*«,.. ..,«*†@¤##
###¤@†*«,. .,«*†@¤###
##¤@†*«,.. ..,«*†@¤##
#¤@†*«,... ...,«*†@¤#
¤@†*«,.... ....,«*†@¤
@†*«,..... 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?" ...,«*†@¤#
##¤@†*«,.. ..,«*†@¤##
###¤@†*«,. .,«*†@¤###
##¤@†*«,.. ..,«*†@¤##
#¤@†*«,... ...,«*†@¤#
¤@†*«,.... ....,«*†@¤