:»**&§¶### ###¶§&**»:
¨:»**&§¶¶¶ ¶¶¶§&**»:¨
¨:»**&§¶## ##¶§&**»:¨
¨:»**&§¶## ##¶§&**»:¨
¨:»**&§¶## ##¶§&**»:¨
¨¨¨:::»**§ 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?" ##¶§&**»:¨
¨:»**&§¶## ##¶§&**»:¨
¨¨¨:»»»*§# #§*»»»:¨¨¨
¨:»**&§¶## ##¶§&**»:¨
¨:»**&§§§¶ ¶§§§&**»:¨
¨:»**&§¶## ##¶§&**»:¨