,,,~-****& &****-~,,,
,~--****&& &&****--~,
,~-**£&@## ##@&£**-~,
,~-**£&@## ##@&£**-~,
,~-****££& &££****-~,
,,,,,-*£&# 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?" #&£**~~,,,
,,,,,-*£&& &&£*-,,,,,
,~~-***££@ @££***-~~,
,~-**£&@## ##@&£**-~,
,~-**£&@## ##@&£**-~,
,,,~~**&@# #@&**~~,,,