#¤%^†~-,,, ,,,-~†^%¤#
##¤%^†~-,, ,,-~†^%¤##
###¤%^†~-, ,-~†^%¤###
##¤%^†~-,, ,,-~†^%¤##
#¤%^†~-,,, ,,,-~†^%¤#
¤%^†~-,,,, 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?" ,,-~†^%¤##
#¤%^†~-,,, ,,,-~†^%¤#
¤%^†~-,,,, ,,,,-~†^%¤
%^†~-,,,,, ,,,,,-~†^%
¤%^†~-,,,, ,,,,-~†^%¤
#¤%^†~-,,, ,,,-~†^%¤#