###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
###¤§§;=., 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?" ,,,,,=§¤##
###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
###¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤###
¤¤¤¤§§;=., ,.=;§§¤¤¤¤
#¤§§§;;=., ,.=;;§§§¤#
####¤§§;., ,.;§§¤####