&&...&..&. &&...&&&&.
.&..&&.&&. .&..&...&&
&&.&.&&.&& &&.&&..&.&
.&&&&.&&.. .&&.&.&&&.
&...&&.&.& &.&&&&..&.
&..&.&&&&& 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?" .&.&...&&.
&&&&..&..& &&&&..&.&.
...&.&&.&& ...&.&&&&&
..&&&.&&.& ..&&&....&
.&..&&.&&. .&..&...&&
&&.&.&&.&& &&.&&..&.&