$==-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-==$
$$==-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-==$$
§$$==-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-==$$§
#§$$==-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-==$$§#
##§$$==-¨¨ ¨¨-==$$§##
###§$$==-¨ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ¨-==$$§###
##§$$==-¨¨ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ¨¨-==$$§##
#§$$==-¨¨¨ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ¨¨¨-==$$§#
§$$==-¨¨¨¨ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ¨¨¨¨-==$$§
$$==-¨¨¨¨¨ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ¨¨¨¨¨-==$$
$==-¨¨¨¨¨¨ CIGARETTES. ¨¨¨¨¨¨-==$
==-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-==
$==-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ############################## ¨¨¨¨¨¨-==$
$$==-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-==$$
§$$==-¨¨¨¨ WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ¨¨¨¨-==$$§
#§$$==-¨¨¨ THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ¨¨¨-==$$§#
##§$$==-¨¨ FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ¨¨-==$$§##
###§$$==-¨ TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ¨-==$$§###
##§$$==-¨¨ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ¨¨-==$$§##
#§$$==-¨¨¨ LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ¨¨¨-==$$§#
§$$==-¨¨¨¨ THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ¨¨¨¨-==$$§
$$==-¨¨¨¨¨ ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ¨¨¨¨¨-==$$
$==-¨¨¨¨¨¨ RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ¨¨¨¨¨¨-==$
==-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-==
$==-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-==$
$$==-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-==$$
§$$==-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-==$$§
#§$$==-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-==$$§#
##§$$==-¨¨ ¨¨-==$$§##