§=;;;;;~^. .^~;;;;;=§
§==;~^.... ....^~;==§
#§$===;~^. .^~;===$§#
###§$=;~^. .^~;=$§###
§§$$;~.... ....~;$$§§
§§§$;~~~^. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING .^~~~;$§§§
#§$==;^... ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ...^;==$§#
###§$=;~^. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND .^~;=$§###
###§$=;~^. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING .^~;=$§###
§==;^..... 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 ......~=§#
###§$=;~^. FEW TIMES. .^~;=$§###
###§$=;~^. .^~;=$§###
#$=~...... I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ......~=$#
###§$=;~^. KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS .^~;=$§###
#$$=~^.... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ....^~=$$#
#§$$=~~^.. SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ..^~~=$$§#
###§$=;~^. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A .^~;=$§###
###§$=;~^. DETOUR?" .^~;=$§###
###§$=;~^. .^~;=$§###
###§$=;~^. .^~;=$§###
#§§$;;~~^. .^~~;;$§§#
#§=;~~.... ....~~;=§#
###§$=;~^. .^~;=$§###