,,,,,,-=$# #$=-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=$ $=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=$ 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 $=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, DETOUR?" ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,- -,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,-= =-,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-=$ $=-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-=$# #$=-,,,,,,