$%†=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=†%$
%†=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=†%
†=~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~=†
=~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~=
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
,,,,,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,,,,,,,
~,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,~
=~,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,~=
†=~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~=†
%†=~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~=†%
$%†=~,,,,, ,,,,,~=†%$