##@§*†;=-, ,-=;†*§@##
§§§†=-,,,, ,,,,-=†§§§
@*†=,,,,,, ,,,,,,=†*@
@*††††;=-, ,-=;††††*@
##@§*†;=-, ,-=;†*§@##
#@§§*†;=-, 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?" ,,-==;††*@
#@§†==-,,, ,,,-==†§@#
@*;=-,,,,, ,,,,,-=;*@
@@***†;=-, ,-=;†***@@
##@§*†;=-, ,-=;†*§@##
@**††==-,, ,,-==††**@