#§*===†~.. ..~†===*§#
##@§*=†~.. ..~†=*§@##
#@§===†~.. ..~†===§@#
@§=~...... ......~=§@
#@§**=†~.. ..~†=**§@#
@§§*†~.... 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?" ..~†=*§@##
@§§§*=†~.. ..~†=*§§§@
###@§=†~.. ..~†=§@###
##@§*=†~.. ..~†=*§@##
#@*†~..... .....~†*@#
##@§*=†~.. ..~†=*§@##