,-«^%¤¤¤@# #@¤¤¤%^«-,
,-«^%¤#@## ##@#¤%^«-,
,-«^%¤¤### ###¤¤%^«-,
,-«^%¤#@## ##@#¤%^«-,
,-«««^%%## ##%%^«««-,
,-««««%#@@ 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?" ##@#¤%^«-,
,---«^%%## ##%%^«---,
,,,,-^^¤## ##¤^^-,,,,
,,,-^^^¤#@ @#¤^^^-,,,
,,,,,,,«%# #%«,,,,,,,
,-«^%¤#@## ##@#¤%^«-,