=~~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~~=
§=~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~=§
%§=~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~=§%
@%§=~~,,,, ,,,,~~=§%@
@@%§=~~,,, ,,,~~=§%@@
#@@%§=~~,, 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?" ,,,,,,,,~~
=~~,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,~~=
§=~~,,,,,, ,,,,,,~~=§
%§=~~,,,,, ,,,,,~~=§%
@%§=~~,,,, ,,,,~~=§%@
@@%§=~~,,, ,,,~~=§%@@