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