@@¤¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤¤@@
#@@¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤@@#
@@@¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤@@@
@¤¤^†-.... ....-†^¤¤@
#@@¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤@@#
##@@¤*^†-. 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?" ...»»»†**@
@¤***^†»-. .-»†^***¤@
#@@¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤@@#
#@@¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤@@#
##@@¤*†»-. .-»†*¤@@##
##@¤*^†»-. .-»†^*¤@##