,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,,,,^^$$# #$$^^,,,,,
,,-^$##### ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #####$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ####$$^-,,
,,,,,^^^$# SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND #$^^^,,,,,
,,-^$$#### DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ####$$^-,,
,,,,-^$### JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ###$^-,,,,
,,-^^$$### CIGARETTES. ###$$^^-,,
,,,-^^^$$# #$$^^^-,,,
,,-^$$#### ############################## ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ####$$^-,,
,,-^^$$### FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ###$$^^-,,
,,-^$$#### TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ####$$^-,,
,,,,,,^^$# LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS #$^^,,,,,,
,,^$$##### THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND #####$$^,,
,,-^^^^$$# ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL #$$^^^^-,,
,,-^$$#### RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ####$$^-,,
,,,,,^$$$# #$$$^,,,,,
,,,,,,,^$# AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. #$^,,,,,,,
,,,,,-$$## WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT ##$$-,,,,,
,,-^$##### THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY #####$^-,,
,,,,^^$$## OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ##$$^^,,,,
,,,,,,,^$# MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE #$^,,,,,,,
,,-^$$$### MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ###$$$^-,,
,,-^$$$$## ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ##$$$$^-,,
,,--^^$$## ##$$^^--,,
,,-^$$#### 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?" ###$$^^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,-^$$#### ####$$^-,,
,,,,--^^$# #$^^--,,,,