@@¤§/,.... ....,/§¤@@
¤*-,...... ......,-*¤
¤**/-,,... ...,,-/**¤
#¤**--.... ....--**¤#
##@¤§*/-,. .,-/*§¤@##
@¤*-...... 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?" .,-/*§¤@##
¤§§§§*/-,. .,-/*§§§§¤
¤¤*/,,.... ....,,/*¤¤
@§§*-..... .....-*§§@
@¤¤¤§*/-,. .,-/*§¤¤¤@
#@¤***/-,. .,-/***¤@#