@@¤§§»»:.. ..:»»§§¤@@
#@&§^»»»:. .:»»»^§&@#
¤§»::..... .....::»§¤
¤&§^:..... .....:^§&¤
##@¤&§^»:. .:»^§&¤@##
###@&§^»:. 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?" .:»^§&¤@##
###¤&§^»:. .:»^§&¤###
¤§^:...... ......:^§¤
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