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