¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, 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?" #¤$†;«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«;†$¤## ##¤$†;«,¨¨
¨,«;†$¤### ###¤$†;«,¨
¨¨,«;†$¤## ##¤$†;«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«;†$¤# #¤$†;«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«;†$¤ ¤$†;«,¨¨¨¨