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