,-~=$§££## ##££§$=~-,
,,-~=$§££# #££§$=~-,,
,,,-~=$§££ ££§$=~-,,,
,,,,-~=$§£ £§$=~-,,,,
,,,,,-~=$§ §$=~-,,,,,
,,,,,,-~=$ 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 $=~-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~= WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW =~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~ AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- FEW TIMES. -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-~ DETOUR?" ~-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-~= =~-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-~=$ $=~-,,,,,,
,,,,,-~=$§ §$=~-,,,,,
,,,,-~=$§£ £§$=~-,,,,
,,,-~=$§££ ££§$=~-,,,