¨¨###¨¨#¨# ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨ ¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨ ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨¨ ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨###¨ ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨## 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨
###¨¨¨¨#¨¨ #¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨¨#¨ ##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨# ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨¨¨¨ ¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨¨ ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨