@&&$//»»., ,.»»//$&&@
@&^»».,,,, ,,,,.»»^&@
##¶&$^/»., ,.»/^$&¶##
&^^»,,,,,, ,,,,,,»^^&
&^/.,,,,,, ,,,,,,./^&
&&$^/.,,,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,,,./^$&&
##@¶&$^»., ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,.»^$&¶@##
&^^^^^/»., 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 ,,,,,,,»^&
#@¶&$^/»., THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ,.»/^$&¶@#
#@¶&$^/»., AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ,.»/^$&¶@#
##¶&$^/»., PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ,.»/^$&¶##
##¶&$^/»., REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ,.»/^$&¶##
&&$//»»»., WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ,.»»»//$&&
¶$/».,,,,, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ,,,,,.»/$¶
¶¶¶&$^/»., FEW TIMES. ,.»/^$&¶¶¶
#@¶&$^/»., ,.»/^$&¶@#
@@¶&$^/»., I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ,.»/^$&¶@@
#@¶&$^/»., KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,.»/^$&¶@#
¶&&$$^/»., ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ,.»/^$$&&¶
##¶&$^/»., SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ,.»/^$&¶##
¶¶&&$^/»., AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,.»/^$&&¶¶
##¶&$^/»., DETOUR?" ,.»/^$&¶##
##@&$^/»., ,.»/^$&@##
@@¶&$^/»., ,.»/^$&¶@@
&&&$$^/»., ,.»/^$$&&&
&$$/.,,,,, ,,,,,./$$&
&&^»»..,,, ,,,..»»^&&