,,,«\$&@@# #@@&$\«,,,
,,,,«\$&@@ @@&$\«,,,,
,,,,,«\$&@ @&$\«,,,,,
,,,,,,«\$& &$\«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«\$ $\«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«\$& ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING &$\«,,,,,,
,,,,,«\$&@ 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 #@@&$\«,,,
,,«\$&@@## DETOUR?" ##@@&$\«,,
,,,«\$&@@# #@@&$\«,,,
,,,,«\$&@@ @@&$\«,,,,
,,,,,«\$&@ @&$\«,,,,,
,,,,,,«\$& &$\«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«\$ $\«,,,,,,,