¨-»=^£&¶## ##¶&£^=»-¨
¨-»=^£&¶## ##¶&£^=»-¨
¨-»=^£&¶## ##¶&£^=»-¨
¨¨¨--=£&¶¶ ¶¶&£=--¨¨¨
¨-»=^£&¶## ##¶&£^=»-¨
¨-»==^££&& 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?" ##¶&£^=»-¨
¨-»=^^££¶# #¶££^^=»-¨
¨-»=^£¶### ###¶£^=»-¨
¨-»=^^^&¶¶ ¶¶&^^^=»-¨
¨¨¨¨-==^^& &^^==-¨¨¨¨
¨-»=^&¶### ###¶&^=»-¨