..~;†%£@## ##@£%†;~..
...~;†%£@# #@£%†;~...
....~;†%£@ @£%†;~....
...~;†%£@# #@£%†;~...
..~;†%£@## ##@£%†;~..
...~;†%£@# 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?" #@£%†;~...
..~;†%£@## ##@£%†;~..
...~;†%£@# #@£%†;~...
....~;†%£@ @£%†;~....
...~;†%£@# #@£%†;~...
..~;†%£@## ##@£%†;~..