...,«;*£§# #§£*;«,...
....,«;*£§ §£*;«,....
.....,«;*£ £*;«,.....
......,«;* *;«,......
.......,«; ;«,.......
........,« 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. £*;«,.....
....,«;*£§ §£*;«,....
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.,«;*£§### 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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