%*=-~..... .....~-=*%
*=-~...... ......~-=*
=-~....... .......~-=
-~........ ........~-
~......... .........~
.......... 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?" ..........
~......... .........~
-~........ ........~-
=-~....... .......~-=
*=-~...... ......~-=*
%*=-~..... .....~-=*%