,~=**£##@# #@##£**=~,
,,,~~==**# #**==~~,,,
,~=**£##@# #@##£**=~,
,,,,,~*££# #££*~,,,,,
,,~=*****# #*****=~,,
,~=**£##@@ 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?" @@##£**=~,
,~=*****#@ @#*****=~,
,~=**£###@ @###£**=~,
,,,,,~=*## ##*=~,,,,,
,~=***£##@ @##£***=~,
,,,~~=*£## ##£*=~~,,,