@#@%†»^,,, ,,,^»†%@#@
#@#@%†»^,, ,,^»†%@#@#
##@#@%†»^, ,^»†%@#@##
#@#@%†»^,, ,,^»†%@#@#
@#@%†»^,,, ,,,^»†%@#@
#@%†»^,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,,,^»
†»^,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,^»†
%†»^,,,,,, ,,,,,,^»†%
@%†»^,,,,, ,,,,,^»†%@
#@%†»^,,,, ,,,,^»†%@#
@#@%†»^,,, ,,,^»†%@#@