###§$%/»-, ,-»/%$§###
###§$%/»-, ,-»/%$§###
###§$%/»-, ,-»/%$§###
§%/»»-,,,, ,,,,-»»/%§
###§$%/»-, ,-»/%$§###
§§$%%//»-, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,-»//%%$§§
@##§$%/»-, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,-»/%$§##@
@#$$/-,,,, SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ,,,,-/$$#@
§§§$//-,,, DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ,,,-//$§§§
#@#§$%/»-, JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ,-»/%$§#@#
##@#§$/»-, CIGARETTES. ,-»/$§#@##
§$$/»-,,,, ,,,,-»/$$§
#§$%%»--,, ############################## ,,--»%%$§#
##@§$%/»-, ,-»/%$§@##
#@#§$%/»-, WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ,-»/%$§#@#
#§$%»-,,,, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,,,,-»%$§#
§§%/»,,,,, 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 ,,,,»//%§#
#$%»-,,,,, KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,,,,,-»%$#
#@#§$%/»-, ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,-»/%$§#@#
#$%»,,,,,, SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,,,,,,»%$#
#@#§$%/»-, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,-»/%$§#@#
#@#§$%/»-, DETOUR?" ,-»/%$§#@#
#@#§$%/»-, ,-»/%$§#@#
#§%%///»-, ,-»///%%§#
##@#$%/»-, ,-»/%$#@##
§$%%»»»-,, ,,-»»»%%$§
§%%/»-,,,, ,,,,-»/%%§