§=//~~,,,, ,,,,~~//=§
#¶¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶¶#
§&/»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»/&§
§&/~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~/&§
##¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶##
###¶§&=/~, 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?" ,~»/=&§¶##
##¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶##
##¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶##
##¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶##
##¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶##
##¶§&=/»~, ,~»/=&§¶##