,,~=*££@@#                                          #@@££*=~,,
,,~=*££@@@                                          @@@££*=~,,
,,~=*££@@#                                          #@@££*=~,,
,,~=*££@@@                                          @@@££*=~,,
,,,,~=£££@                                          @£££=~,,,,
,,~=*££@@#  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?"                 ££*~~,,,,,
,,,,,,=*£@                                          @£*=,,,,,,
,,~=*££@##                                          ##@££*=~,,
,,,~~~*££@                                          @££*~~~,,,
,,~=*££@@#                                          #@@££*=~,,
,,~=*££@@#                                          #@@££*=~,,