,^~~~%§§§¶ ¶§§§%~~~^,
,^~%§&¶### ###¶&§%~^,
,^~=%§&¶## ##¶&§%=~^,
,^~=%§§§&& &&§§§%=~^,
,,^^=%§§¶# #¶§§%=^^,,
,^~=%§&¶## 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?" ##¶&§%=~^,
,,,,^~==§& &§==~^,,,,
,,,,^~%&&¶ ¶&&%~^,,,,
,^~=%§&¶## ##¶&§%=~^,
,^~=%§&¶## ##¶&§%=~^,
,^~=%§&&¶¶ ¶¶&&§%=~^,