§*^«,,,,,, ,,,,,,«^*§
@@#§*§^«^, ,^«^§*§#@@
@#*§^^^,,, ,,,^^^§*#@
##@§*§^«^, ,^«^§*§@##
#*^««^,,,, ,,,,^««^*#
#@#§*§^«^, 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?" ,,,«^§***#
§§***§^«^, ,^«^§***§§
#@#§*§^«^, ,^«^§*§#@#
##@#§*^«^, ,^«^*§#@##
#§§§^^,,,, ,,,,^^§§§#
#@#§*§^«^, ,^«^§*§#@#