,,,~=§%§@@                                          @@§%§=~,,,
,,~=§%§@@#                                          #@@§%§=~,,
,,,~=§%§@@                                          @@§%§=~,,,
,,,,~=§%§@                                          @§%§=~,,,,
,,,,,~=§%§                                          §%§=~,,,,,
,,,,,,~=§%  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?"                 @§%§=~,,,,
,,,,,~=§%§                                          §%§=~,,,,,
,,,,,,~=§%                                          %§=~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~=§                                          §=~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~=                                          =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~                                          ~,,,,,,,,,