¶¶%^~..... .....~^%¶¶
#%~~~~.... ....~~~~%#
¶%%^~..... .....~^%%¶
##¶#%%^~~. .~~^%%#¶##
###¶%%^~~. .~~^%%¶###
#¶##%%^~~. 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?" ..~~~~%%##
##%%%%^~~. .~~^%%%%##
¶%^~...... ......~^%¶
##¶#%%^~~. .~~^%%#¶##
##¶#%%^~~. .~~^%%#¶##
####%%^~~. .~~^%%####