¨~~:$%§@@# #@@§%$:~~¨
¨¨¨¨~:::%@ @%:::~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~::%§§ §§%::~¨¨¨¨
¨~~:$%§@@# #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@@ @@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§§§§ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING §§§§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%%§§§ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME §§§%%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@# SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$$%§@@ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING @@§%$$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@## JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ##@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@@ CIGARETTES. @@@§%$:~~¨
¨¨~~~~~$$§ §$$~~~~~¨¨
¨~~:$%@@## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ##@@%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@# #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%@@## WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ##@@%$:~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~::$§ THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE §$::~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~~~~~:%@ 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. §%%$$$:~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~:%@@ @@%:~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~:$%§@@# I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@# KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@## ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ##@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@# SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$$$$%§ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A §%$$$$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@@ DETOUR?" @@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@# #@@§%$:~~¨
¨~~:$%§@@# #@@§%$:~~¨
¨¨¨¨~:::$§ §$:::~¨¨¨¨
¨~~:$%%§§@ @§§%%$:~~¨
¨~~:%§@@## ##@@§%:~~¨