,~-^%$§### ###§$%^-~,
,~-^%$§### ###§$%^-~,
,~-^%$§### ###§$%^-~,
,,,,,~^%$# #$%^~,,,,,
,,,,,~-^$§ §$^-~,,,,,
,~~~^^^$§# ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #§$^^^~~~,
,~-^%$§### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ###§$%^-~,
,,,~^^%%$§ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND §$%%^^~,,,
,~-^%$§### DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ###§$%^-~,
,,,~-^^$$# JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING #$$^^-~,,,
,,,,~^$$§# CIGARETTES. #§$$^~,,,,
,~-^%$§### ###§$%^-~,
,,,,~--%§§ ############################## §§%--~,,,,
,,,,~^%§## ##§%^~,,,,
,~-^%$§### WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ###§$%^-~,
,~-^$§#### THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ####§$^-~,
,,,,~^^^$# FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. #$^^^~,,,,
,~-^%$§### TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ###§$%^-~,
,~-^%%%$## MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ##$%%%^-~,
,~-^%%%%§# 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 §§%^~,,,,,
,~-^%$§### AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ###§$%^-~,
,,,,~-%%$# PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A #$%%-~,,,,
,~-^%$#### REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ####$%^-~,
,,,,~~~^$# WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW #$^~~~,,,,
,~-^%$§### AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ###§$%^-~,
,,,,-%%$§# FEW TIMES. #§$%%-,,,,
,,,,~-%§§# #§§%-~,,,,
,~-^%$§### I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ###§$%^-~,
~-^%$§#### KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ####§$%^-~
,~-^%$§### ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ###§$%^-~,
,,,~-^%$§§ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS §§$%^-~,,,
,,,,~~^$§# AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A #§$^~~,,,,
,,,,,~^%$# DETOUR?" #$%^~,,,,,
,~-^^^$$## ##$$^^^-~,
,,,,,--%§§ §§%--,,,,,
,~-^%%$$$# #$$$%%^-~,
,,~--^$§§# #§§$^--~,,
,,,,,,-%$# #$%-,,,,,,