,,,,,^==£# #£==^,,,,,
,,,,,,»$## ##$»,,,,,,
,^»=$£#### ####£$=»^,
,^»=$$£### ###£$$=»^,
,,,,^»=£## ##£=»^,,,,
,,,,^^^=$# ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #$=^^^,,,,
,^»=$£#### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ####£$=»^,
,,,»»»»»$# DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING #$»»»»»,,,
,^»=$£#### JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ####£$=»^,
,,,,,,^=£# 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 #£=»»^,,,,
,^»=$£#### REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ####£$=»^,
,,^»=$$£## WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ##£$$=»^,,
,^»=$£#### AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### FEW TIMES. ####£$=»^,
,,,^»==$## ##$==»^,,,
,^»=$£#### I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£££## AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##£££$=»^,
,,,,^==$## DETOUR?" ##$==^,,,,
,^»=$£#### ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### ####£$=»^,
,^»=$£#### ####£$=»^,
,^»»==$£## ##£$==»»^,