....&..&.. ....&&&...
&&&......& .&&..&..&&
&&..&&&&.. .........&
&....&&... &&&&&&&&..
..&&....&& &&&&&&&...
&....&&..& 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?" &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&