###¤%%†-:, ,:-†%%¤###
##¤%%†-:,, ,,:-†%%¤##
#¤%%†-:,,, ,,,:-†%%¤#
¤%%†-:,,,, ,,,,:-†%%¤
%%†-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-†%%
%†-:,,,,,, 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?" ,,,,:-†%%¤
%%†-:,,,,, ,,,,,:-†%%
%†-:,,,,,, ,,,,,,:-†%
†-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-†
-:,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,:-
†-:,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,:-†