##¤$†*»-.. ..-»*†$¤##
#¤$†*»-... ...-»*†$¤#
¤$†*»-.... ....-»*†$¤
$†*»-..... .....-»*†$
†*»-...... ......-»*†
*»-....... 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 ......-»*†
$†*»-..... KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS .....-»*†$
¤$†*»-.... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ....-»*†$¤
#¤$†*»-... SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ...-»*†$¤#
##¤$†*»-.. AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ..-»*†$¤##
###¤$†*»-. DETOUR?" .-»*†$¤###
##¤$†*»-.. ..-»*†$¤##
#¤$†*»-... ...-»*†$¤#
¤$†*»-.... ....-»*†$¤
$†*»-..... .....-»*†$
†*»-...... ......-»*†