&¤*†«..... .....«†*¤&
@&¤*†«.... ....«†*¤&@
#@&¤*†«... ...«†*¤&@#
##@&¤*†«.. ..«†*¤&@##
###@&¤*†«. .«†*¤&@###
##@&¤*†«.. 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?" ......«†*¤
&¤*†«..... .....«†*¤&
@&¤*†«.... ....«†*¤&@
#@&¤*†«... ...«†*¤&@#
##@&¤*†«.. ..«†*¤&@##
###@&¤*†«. .«†*¤&@###