.~=†*%#### ####%*†=~.
..~=†*%### ###%*†=~..
.~=†*%#### ####%*†=~.
..~=†*%### ###%*†=~..
.~=†*%#### ####%*†=~.
..~=†*%### 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?" ###%*†=~..
.~=†*%#### ####%*†=~.
..~=†*%### ###%*†=~..
.~=†*%#### ####%*†=~.
..~=†*%### ###%*†=~..
.~=†*%#### ####%*†=~.