.~=†^$@### ###@$^†=~.
..~=†^$@## ##@$^†=~..
...~=†^$@# #@$^†=~...
....~=†^$@ @$^†=~....
.....~=†^$ $^†=~.....
......~=†^ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ^†=~......
.......~=† ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME †=~.......
........~= SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND =~........
.........~ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ~.........
.......... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..........
.......... CIGARETTES. ..........
.......... ..........
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.......... ..........
.......... WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ..........
.......... THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ..........
.........~ FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ~.........
........~= TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, =~........
.......~=† MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR †=~.......
......~=†^ LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ^†=~......
.....~=†^$ 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 $^†=~.....
......~=†^ OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ^†=~......
.......~=† MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE †=~.......
........~= MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT =~........
.........~ ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ~.........
.......... ..........
.......... I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ..........
.......... MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ..........
.......... ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ..........
.......... ..........
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.......... ..........
.........~ WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ~.........
........~= KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY =~........
.......~=† BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A †=~.......
......~=†^ CALL?" ^†=~......
.....~=†^$ $^†=~.....
....~=†^$@ 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?" ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.......... ..........
.........~ ~.........