,,,,,,=*$$ $$*=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*$ $*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*$ 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 $*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= DETOUR?" =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*$ $*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=*$$ $$*=,,,,,,
,,,,,=*$$@ @$$*=,,,,,
,,,,=*$$@# #@$$*=,,,,