.,~\$%£@@# #@@£%$\~,.
.,~\$%£@@# #@@£%$\~,.
.....~$%££ ££%$~.....
.,~\$%£@@# #@@£%$\~,.
.,~\$%@@## ##@@%$\~,.
....~~$$£@ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING @£$$~~....
.,~\$%%%£@ 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?" ££$~~.....
......,~$£ £$~,......
.,~\$%@@## ##@@%$\~,.
.,~\$%£@@@ @@@£%$\~,.
.,~\$%£@@# #@@£%$\~,.
.,~\$%£@@# #@@£%$\~,.