,:=;*&§### ###§&*;=:,
,:=;*&§§§# #§§§&*;=:,
,,,,,=;*&§ §&*;=,,,,,
,:=;*&§### ###§&*;=:,
,:=;*&&&§# #§&&&*;=:,
,:=;*&&&## 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?" ###§&*;=:,
,:=;*&&&§# #§&&&*;=:,
,:=;*&§### ###§&*;=:,
,,,:==*&§§ §§&*==:,,,
,:=;***&§# #§&***;=:,
,:=;*&§### ###§&*;=:,