..^«†$%&@# #@&%$†«^..
...^«†$%&@ @&%$†«^...
....^«†$%& &%$†«^....
.....^«†$% %$†«^.....
......^«†$ $†«^......
.......^«† ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING †«^.......
........^« ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME «^........
.........^ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ^.........
.......... DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ..........
.......... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..........
.......... CIGARETTES. ..........
.......... ..........
.......... @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ..........
.......... ..........
.......... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ..........
.........^ THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ^.........
........^« FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. «^........
.......^«† TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, †«^.......
......^«†$ 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?" ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........^ ^.........
........^« «^........