^;«....... .......«;^
%^;«...... ......«;^%
§%^;«..... .....«;^%§
@§%^;«.... ....«;^%§@
#@§%^;«... ...«;^%§@#
##@§%^;«.. 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?" ........«;
^;«....... .......«;^
%^;«...... ......«;^%
§%^;«..... .....«;^%§
@§%^;«.... ....«;^%§@
#@§%^;«... ...«;^%§@#