##@¤%^*~,. .,~*^%¤@##
##@¤%^*~,. .,~*^%¤@##
¤%%*~~,,.. ..,,~~*%%¤
##@¤%^*~,. .,~*^%¤@##
@@¤^~..... .....~^¤@@
##@¤%^*~,. 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?" .,~*^%¤@##
#@¤%^~.... ....~^%¤@#
¤¤^*,..... .....,*^¤¤
@%*~...... ......~*%@
#¤^^^^*~,. .,~*^^^^¤#
#@¤^*,.... ....,*^¤@#