##¶@§†/-,, ,,-/†§@¶##
@†--,,,,,, ,,,,,,--†@
##¶@§†/-,, ,,-/†§@¶##
##¶@§†/-,, ,,-/†§@¶##
@§/--,,,,, ,,,,,--/§@
#@§§§†/-,, 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?" ,,,,,--††@
###¶§†/-,, ,,-/†§¶###
#¶@§§†/-,, ,,-/†§§@¶#
##¶@§†/-,, ,,-/†§@¶##
##¶@§†/-,, ,,-/†§@¶##
#@§§§†/-,, ,,-/†§§§@#