,,^»^%££## ##££%^»^,,
,,,^»^%££# #££%^»^,,,
,,,,^»^%££ ££%^»^,,,,
,,,,,^»^%£ £%^»^,,,,,
,,,,,,^»^% %^»^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^»^ 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?" ^»^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» »^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^» »^,,,,,,,,