,:=;^$&### ###&$^;=:,
,:=;^&¶### ###¶&^;=:,
,:=;^$¶### ###¶$^;=:,
,:=;^$&¶## ##¶&$^;=:,
,:=;^$&¶## ##¶&$^;=:,
,,,,,,=^$& ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING &$^=,,,,,,
,=;^$&¶### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ###¶&$^;=,
,:=;^$&¶## SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ##¶&$^;=:,
,,,::;;;^& 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 &&^^==,,,,
,:=;^$&¶## DETOUR?" ##¶&$^;=:,
,,,:==^&&& &&&^==:,,,
,,,,,==^$& &$^==,,,,,
,:=;^$&&&& &&&&$^;=:,
,,:===;;$¶ ¶$;;===:,,
,:=;^$&¶## ##¶&$^;=:,