@¨@@¨@¨¨¨¨ @¨¨@¨@@@¨¨
@¨¨@¨@¨¨¨¨ @¨@@¨¨@@¨@
@¨@@¨@¨¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨¨@¨@¨¨@@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨@ 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?" @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨¨@¨@¨@¨@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
@¨@@¨@¨@¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨