¨~=;*§#@## ##@#§*;=~¨
¨¨~=;*§#@# #@#§*;=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=;*§#@ @#§*;=~¨¨¨
¨¨~=;*§#@# #@#§*;=~¨¨
¨~=;*§#@## ##@#§*;=~¨
¨¨~=;*§#@# 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?" #@#§*;=~¨¨
¨~=;*§#@## ##@#§*;=~¨
¨¨~=;*§#@# #@#§*;=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=;*§#@ @#§*;=~¨¨¨
¨¨~=;*§#@# #@#§*;=~¨¨
¨~=;*§#@## ##@#§*;=~¨