¤*^-...... ......-^*¤
#¤*~...... ......~*¤#
#¤*~--.... ....--~*¤#
¤¤**^^~-.. ..-~^^**¤¤
##@¤%*^~-. .-~^*%¤@##
#¤***~.... 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?" .-~^^^**¤¤
##@¤%*^~-. .-~^*%¤@##
##@¤%*^~-. .-~^*%¤@##
¤*~~...... ......~~*¤
¤%^-...... ......-^%¤
##@¤%*^~-. .-~^*%¤@##