,,~;&§@### ###@§&;~,,
,,,,,;;=§§ §§=;;,,,,,
,,~;=&§@## ##@§&=;~,,
,,~;=&§### ###§&=;~,,
,,~;=&§§§# #§§§&=;~,,
,,~;=&§### 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?" @&&;;,,,,,
,,,,;=&&§§ §§&&=;,,,,
,,~;=&§@## ##@§&=;~,,
,,~;=&§@## ##@§&=;~,,
,,,,,;&&§§ §§&&;,,,,,
,,,,,~~=&§ §&=~~,,,,,