¨.-;%@¤### ###¤@%;-.¨
¨¨¨..-;@#@ @#@;-..¨¨¨
¨.-;%@¤#@# #@#¤@%;-.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-;@¤ ¤@;-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨..;@#@ @#@;..¨¨¨¨
¨¨...;%¤¤@ 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?" ¤@;.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.-;%@¤#@@ @@#¤@%;-.¨
¨.-;%@¤#@# #@#¤@%;-.¨
¨.-;%@¤#@@ @@#¤@%;-.¨
¨.-;%@¤¤## ##¤¤@%;-.¨
¨.-;%@¤#@# #@#¤@%;-.¨