,.»;;;;§@# #@§;;;;».,
,,,,,.;;*& &*;;.,,,,,
,.»;*§&@## ##@&§*;».,
,.»;*§§§&& &&§§§*;».,
,.»;*§&@## ##@&§*;».,
,.»;*§&### 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?" @&§§;»,,,,
,.»;*§&&&# #&&&§*;».,
,,,..»;§@# #@§;»..,,,
,.»;*§&@## ##@&§*;».,
,.»;*§&@## ##@&§*;».,
,.»;*§&@## ##@&§*;».,