,^~;^£#@@# #@@#£^;~^,
,^~;^£#@@# #@@#£^;~^,
,^~;^£###@ @###£^;~^,
,^~;^£#@@# #@@#£^;~^,
,^~;^^^^#@ @#^^^^;~^,
,,,,,,~;^# 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?" ##^^;;~^^,
,^~;^^^£## ##£^^^;~^,
,^~;^£#@## ##@#£^;~^,
,^~;^£#@@@ @@@#£^;~^,
,,,,,,~^#@ @#^~,,,,,,
,^~;^£#@## ##@#£^;~^,