,:~/%$¤£@# #@£¤$%/~:,
,,:~/%$¤£@ @£¤$%/~:,,
,,,:~/%$¤£ £¤$%/~:,,,
,,,,:~/%$¤ ¤$%/~:,,,,
,,,,,:~/%$ $%/~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~/% ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING %/~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~/ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~/ CIGARETTES. /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~/% %/~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~/%$ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ $%/~:,,,,,
,,,,:~/%$¤ ¤$%/~:,,,,
,,,:~/%$¤£ 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. $%/~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~/% %/~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~/ I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,: ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~/ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A /~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~/% DETOUR?" %/~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~/%$ $%/~:,,,,,
,,,,:~/%$¤ ¤$%/~:,,,,
,,,:~/%$¤£ £¤$%/~:,,,
,,:~/%$¤£@ @£¤$%/~:,,
,:~/%$¤£@# #@£¤$%/~:,