,:~==%&¶@# #@¶&%==~:,
,:~==%&¶@# #@¶&%==~:,
,:~==%&&¶¶ ¶¶&&%==~:,
,,,:===%%¶ ¶%%===:,,,
,:~==%&¶@@ @@¶&%==~:,
,:~==%&¶@# 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?" &==~~~,,,,
,:~==%&¶@# #@¶&%==~:,
,,,,,:~=%& &%=~:,,,,,
,:~=%&¶@## ##@¶&%=~:,
,,,,:~~==& &==~~:,,,,
,,:~==%%&¶ ¶&%%==~:,,