,^»=%¤@¶## ##¶@¤%=»^,
,^»=%¤@¶## ##¶@¤%=»^,
,,,,,,^=¤¶ ¶¤=^,,,,,,
,^»=%¤@¶## ##¶@¤%=»^,
,,,,,,,»%@ @%»,,,,,,,
,,,»»»%¤@@ 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?" @@%%%»,,,,
,^»=%¤@¶## ##¶@¤%=»^,
,^»=%¤@¶## ##¶@¤%=»^,
,^»=%¤@@¶¶ ¶¶@@¤%=»^,
,,,,»==¤@¶ ¶@¤==»,,,,
,^»=%¤@¶## ##¶@¤%=»^,