,,,,,,,.=^ ^=.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.=^$ $^=.,,,,,,
,,,,,.=^$$ $$^=.,,,,,
,,,,.=^$$¤ ¤$$^=.,,,,
,,,.=^$$¤@ @¤$$^=.,,,
,,.=^$$¤@# ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #@¤$$^=.,,
,.=^$$¤@## ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ##@¤$$^=.,
,,.=^$$¤@# SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND #@¤$$^=.,,
,,,.=^$$¤@ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING @¤$$^=.,,,
,,,,.=^$$¤ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ¤$$^=.,,,,
,,,,,.=^$$ CIGARETTES. $$^=.,,,,,
,,,,,,.=^$ $^=.,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.=^ ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶ ^=.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.= =.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,. WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,. FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. .,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,.= TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, =.,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,.=^ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ^=.,,,,,,,
,,,,,,.=^$ 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 $^=.,,,,,,
,,,,,.=^$$ ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST $$^=.,,,,,
,,,,.=^$$¤ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ¤$$^=.,,,,
,,,.=^$$¤@ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A @¤$$^=.,,,
,,.=^$$¤@# DETOUR?" #@¤$$^=.,,
,.=^$$¤@## ##@¤$$^=.,
,,.=^$$¤@# #@¤$$^=.,,
,,,.=^$$¤@ @¤$$^=.,,,
,,,,.=^$$¤ ¤$$^=.,,,,
,,,,,.=^$$ $$^=.,,,,,