,,,,,,~=/= =/=~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~=/ /=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~= =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, 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?" ¶@$=/=~,,,
,,~=/=$@¶@ @¶@$=/=~,,
,~=/=$@¶@# #@¶@$=/=~,
,,~=/=$@¶@ @¶@$=/=~,,
,,,~=/=$@¶ ¶@$=/=~,,,
,,,,~=/=$@ @$=/=~,,,,