@@¶§¤%^~,. .,~^%¤§¶@@
@§§%%^,... ...,^%%§§@
#@¶§¤%^~,. .,~^%¤§¶@#
@@¶§¤%^~,. .,~^%¤§¶@@
#@¶§¤%^~,. .,~^%¤§¶@#
##@§¤%^~,. 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?" .,~^%%%%§¶
#@¶§¤%^~,. .,~^%¤§¶@#
¶¤%~,..... .....,~%¤¶
§¤%^,..... .....,^%¤§
#@¶§¤%^~,. .,~^%¤§¶@#
§§%~,..... .....,~%§§