####%$†~,. .,~†$%####
###%$†~,.. ..,~†$%###
##%$†~,... ...,~†$%##
#%$†~,.... ....,~†$%#
%$†~,..... .....,~†$%
$†~,...... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ......,~†$
†~,....... 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 .......,~†
$†~,...... DETOUR?" ......,~†$
%$†~,..... .....,~†$%
#%$†~,.... ....,~†$%#
##%$†~,... ...,~†$%##
###%$†~,.. ..,~†$%###
####%$†~,. .,~†$%####