.,~§$&£### ###£&$§~,.
......,=$£ £$=,......
.,~=§$&£## ##£&$§=~,.
.,~=§$&£## ##£&$§=~,.
......,=§& &§=,......
.,~=§&£### 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 &§~.......
.,~=§$&£## REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ##£&$§=~,.
.,~=§$&£## WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ##£&$§=~,.
.,~=§$£### AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ###£$§=~,.
...~===$&£ FEW TIMES. £&$===~...
.,~=§$&£## ##£&$§=~,.
....~=$$$& I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME &$$$=~....
.,~=§$&£## KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ##£&$§=~,.
.,~=§$&### ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ###&$§=~,.
....,=$$&# SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS #&$$=,....
.,~=§$&£## AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##£&$§=~,.
.,~=§$&£## DETOUR?" ##£&$§=~,.
.,~=§$&£## ##£&$§=~,.
...,,==$&£ £&$==,,...
.,~=§$&£## ##£&$§=~,.
.,~~~~=$&& &&$=~~~~,.
.,~===§§$£ £$§§===~,.