,-«**$@@## ##@@$**«-,
,-«**$&@@# #@@&$**«-,
,-«**$&@## ##@&$**«-,
,-«**$&@@# #@@&$**«-,
,-«**$&@@@ @@@&$**«-,
,-«*$&@@## ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ##@@&$*«-,
,,,,,,,«*& 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 @&&****«-,
,,-««*$&&@ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT @&&$*««-,,
,-«**$&&&@ ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. @&&&$**«-,
,,--***$$& &$$***--,,
,-«**$&&&@ I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT @&&&$**«-,
,-«***$&&@ MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING @&&$***«-,
,-«**$&@@# ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. #@@&$**«-,
,-«***$&@@ @@&$***«-,
,---«««*&@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @&*«««---,
,-«**$&@@# #@@&$**«-,
,,,-«*$$&@ WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, @&$$*«-,,,
,-«**$&@@@ KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY @@@&$**«-,
,-«**$&@@# BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A #@@&$**«-,
,-«**$&@@# CALL?" #@@&$**«-,
,,,«««*$$@ @$$*«««,,,
,-«**$&@@# AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL #@@&$**«-,
,-«****$$@ THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND @$$****«-,
,-«**$&@@# AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN #@@&$**«-,
,,,,-«*$$@ PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A @$$*«-,,,,
,-«**$&@## REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ##@&$**«-,
,-«**$@@## WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ##@@$**«-,
,-«****$&& AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A &&$****«-,
,-«**$&@@# FEW TIMES. #@@&$**«-,
,,,-**$$&@ @&$$**-,,,
,-«*****$@ I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME @$*****«-,
,-«*$&@@## KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ##@@&$*«-,
,-«**$&@@# ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST #@@&$**«-,
,-«**$&@@@ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS @@@&$**«-,
,«**$&@@## AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##@@&$**«,
,-«**$$$@@ DETOUR?" @@$$$**«-,
,---***&&& &&&***---,
,-«««**$$@ @$$**«««-,
,-«**$&@@# #@@&$**«-,
,,,,,-*$&@ @&$*-,,,,,
,-«**$&@@# #@@&$**«-,