†\«,...... ......,«\†
%†\«,..... .....,«\†%
#%†\«,.... ....,«\†%#
@#%†\«,... ...,«\†%#@
#@#%†\«,.. ..,«\†%#@#
##@#%†\«,. 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?" ...,«\†%#@
#@#%†\«,.. ..,«\†%#@#
##@#%†\«,. .,«\†%#@##
#@#%†\«,.. ..,«\†%#@#
@#%†\«,... ...,«\†%#@
#%†\«,.... ....,«\†%#