##£&§*†=,, ,,=†*§&£##
#£&§*†=,,, ,,,=†*§&£#
£&§*†=,,,, ,,,,=†*§&£
&§*†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†*§&
§*†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†*§
*†=,,,,,,, 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?" ,,,=†*§&£#
##£&§*†=,, ,,=†*§&£##
#£&§*†=,,, ,,,=†*§&£#
£&§*†=,,,, ,,,,=†*§&£
&§*†=,,,,, ,,,,,=†*§&
§*†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†*§