,~=^^$£££#                                          #£££$^^=~,
,,,=^^$£££                                          £££$^^=,,,
,~=^^$££##                                          ##££$^^=~,
,,,,,~~^$£                                          £$^~~,,,,,
,~=^^$££##                                          ##££$^^=~,
,~=^^$££££  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ££££$^^=~,
,~=^^$££## ALONG  THE RUSTY CARGO  CARS  LIKE  SOME ##££$^^=~,
,~===^^£££ 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 £^=~~~,,,,
,~=^^$££## AT ME, TEETH  FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##££$^^=~,
,~=^^$££##                 DETOUR?"                 ##££$^^=~,
,,,,,,~=^£                                          £^=~,,,,,,
,~=^^$££##                                          ##££$^^=~,
,~=^^$£££#                                          #£££$^^=~,
,~=^^$££##                                          ##££$^^=~,
,,,,=^^$££                                          ££$^^=,,,,