,~»:^$&¶## ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:::$$&& &&$$:::»~,
,,~»::^$&# #&$^::»~,,
,,,,,~»^&¶ ¶&^»~,,,,,
,~»:^$$$¶¶ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ¶¶$$$^:»~,
,~»:^^^$&¶ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ¶&$^^^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ##¶&$^:»~,
~»:^$&¶### JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ###¶&$^:»~
,~»:^$&¶## CIGARETTES. ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## ##¶&$^:»~,
,~~»:::^&& ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶ &&^:::»~~,
,~:^$&¶### ###¶&$^:~,
,~»:^$&¶## WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:::^&&& 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 #&^:~,,,,,
,~»:^$&¶¶# REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH #¶¶&$^:»~,
,,,,,,»^$¶ WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ¶$^»,,,,,,
,,,,~~:$&# AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A #&$:~~,,,,
,,,,,~:^$& FEW TIMES. &$^:~,,,,,
,,~~::^&¶¶ ¶¶&^::~~,,
,~»:^$&&&¶ I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ¶&&&$^:»~,
,~»:^$$&&# KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS #&&$$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ##¶&$^:»~,
,,,»::$$¶# AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #¶$$::»,,,
,~»:^$&¶## DETOUR?" ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶## ##¶&$^:»~,
,~»:^$&¶¶¶ ¶¶¶&$^:»~,
,,,,~~:^$& &$^:~~,,,,
,,,,~»^$&& &&$^»~,,,,
,~»:^$&¶## ##¶&$^:»~,