,,..~~~§@& &@§~~~..,,
,,,,,,.;@& &@;.,,,,,,
,.~;§§§§§& &§§§§§;~.,
,,,.~§§§&@ @&§§§~.,,,
,.~;§@&¶@@ @@¶&@§;~.,
,,,,,~;@&¶ 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?" #@¶&@§;~.,
,,,..~§@&@ @&@§~..,,,
,.~;§@&¶@# #@¶&@§;~.,
,.~;§@&¶@# #@¶&@§;~.,
,.~;§@&¶@# #@¶&@§;~.,
,.~;§@&¶@@ @@¶&@§;~.,