,,,,,,,^=/ /=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=/ /=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=/^ ^/=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=/^§ §^/=^,,,,,
,,,,^=/^§¤ 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?" ^/=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=/^§ §^/=^,,,,,
,,,,^=/^§¤ ¤§^/=^,,,,
,,,^=/^§¤# #¤§^/=^,,,
,,^=/^§¤## ##¤§^/=^,,
,^=/^§¤### ###¤§^/=^,