¨¨¨¨^»=$$@ @$$=»^¨¨¨¨
¨^»=%$#@## ##@#$%=»^¨
¨^»=%$#@## ##@#$%=»^¨
¨^»=$#@### ###@#$=»^¨
¨^»»»»%$$@ @$$%»»»»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»%## 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?" ###%=»»»^¨
¨^»=%$#@## ##@#$%=»^¨
¨¨¨¨^»=$@# #@$=»^¨¨¨¨
¨^»=%$#@## ##@#$%=»^¨
¨^»=%$#@## ##@#$%=»^¨
¨¨¨¨^»%$## ##$%»^¨¨¨¨