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