,,»=§%¤### ###¤%§=»,,
,,»=§%¤### ###¤%§=»,,
,,»=§§§¤## ##¤§§§=»,,
,,»=§§§§%# #%§§§§=»,,
,,,,,»=%%# #%%=»,,,,,
,,,,,,»=%# 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?" ¤¤¤¤%§=»,,
,,,,,»§¤¤# #¤¤§»,,,,,
,,»=§%¤### ###¤%§=»,,
,,,,,»»»§¤ ¤§»»»,,,,,
,,»=§%¤### ###¤%§=»,,
,,»=§%¤### ###¤%§=»,,