,,,,,^^\=& &=\^^,,,,,
,^~\=¤¤&&@ @&&¤¤=\~^,
,^~\==¤¤&& &&¤¤==\~^,
,~\=¤&@@## ##@@&¤=\~,
,,,^\\==&& &&==\\^,,,
,^~\=¤&@@# 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?" &&¤=~^^^^,
,^~\=¤&@@@ @@@&¤=\~^,
,,,,^\=¤@@ @@¤=\^,,,,
,^~\=¤&@@@ @@@&¤=\~^,
,,,,,,^\¤@ @¤\^,,,,,,
,,,,,^\¤@@ @@¤\^,,,,,