,-«\%¤@### ###@¤%\«-,
,-«\%¤#### ####¤%\«-,
,-«\%¤@### ###@¤%\«-,
,,,,-««\%@ @%\««-,,,,
,-«\%¤@### ###@¤%\«-,
,-«\%¤@### 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?" ###@¤%\«-,
,-«\%@#### ####@%\«-,
,-«\%¤@@@# #@@@¤%\«-,
,-«\%¤@### ###@¤%\«-,
,-«\%¤@### ###@¤%\«-,
,-«\%@#### ####@%\«-,