...-~\%¤@# #@¤%\~-...
..-~\%¤@## ##@¤%\~-..
.-~\%¤@### ###@¤%\~-.
..-~\%¤@## ##@¤%\~-..
...-~\%¤@# #@¤%\~-...
....-~\%¤@ 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?" ##@¤%\~-..
...-~\%¤@# #@¤%\~-...
....-~\%¤@ @¤%\~-....
.....-~\%¤ ¤%\~-.....
....-~\%¤@ @¤%\~-....
...-~\%¤@# #@¤%\~-...