@¤%=~-.... ....-~=%¤@
¤=~~~~~... ...~~~~~=¤
¤=~~~~.... ....~~~~=¤
#@@¤%=/~-. .-~/=%¤@@#
¤¤¤¤%=/~-. .-~/=%¤¤¤¤
@%/-...... 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?" .-~/=%¤@@#
@@¤¤%=/~-. .-~/=%¤¤@@
@@@¤%=/~-. .-~/=%¤@@@
¤¤%/--.... ....--/%¤¤
¤¤¤==~~-.. ..-~~==¤¤¤
¤¤¤==/-... ...-/==¤¤¤