¨¨¨¨¨,»*¤# #¤*»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»:*§¤@## ##@¤§*:»,¨
¨,»:*§§¤¤¤ ¤¤¤§§*:»,¨
¨¨,,,::*§¤ ¤§*::,,,¨¨
¨,»:*§¤@## ##@¤§*:»,¨
¨,»:*§¤@## 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?" #¤¤§*:,¨¨¨
¨,»:*§¤### ###¤§*:»,¨
¨¨¨,::§¤¤¤ ¤¤¤§::,¨¨¨
¨,»:*§¤@## ##@¤§*:»,¨
,»:*§¤@### ###@¤§*:»,
¨¨,,»»»*§@ @§*»»»,,¨¨