*=~....... .......~=*
=~........ ........~=
~......... .........~
=~........ ........~=
*=~....... .......~=*
&*=~...... 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?" ..~=*&&£##
#£&&*=~... ...~=*&&£#
£&&*=~.... ....~=*&&£
&&*=~..... .....~=*&&
&*=~...... ......~=*&
*=~....... .......~=*