###£§†:--. .--:†§£###
##£§†:--.. ..--:†§£##
#£§†:--... ...--:†§£#
£§†:--.... ....--:†§£
§†:--..... .....--:†§
†:--...... 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?" ......--:†
:--....... .......--:
--........ ........--
-......... .........-
.......... ..........
-......... .........-