##@@&&†=~- -~=†&&@@##
@@@&&†=~-. .-~=†&&@@@
@@@&&†=~-. .-~=†&&@@@
&&&†~-.... ....-~†&&&
&&†==~-... ...-~==†&&
@&&&†==~-. 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?" .-~=†&&@@#
@@@&&†=~-. .-~=†&&@@@
@@&†††=~-. .-~=†††&@@
##@&&†=~-. .-~=†&&@##
@&&&&†=~-. .-~=†&&&&@
@@@&&†=~-. .-~=†&&@@@