,,,,=;%§£@ @£§%;=,,,,
,,,,,=;%§£ £§%;=,,,,,
,,,,,,=;%§ §%;=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=;% %;=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=; ;=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= 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?" @@£§%;=,,,
,,,,=;%§£@ @£§%;=,,,,
,,,,,=;%§£ £§%;=,,,,,
,,,,,,=;%§ §%;=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=;% %;=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=; ;=,,,,,,,,