¨^»=*¤#### ####¤*=»^¨
¨^»=*¤##@# #@##¤*=»^¨
¨^»=*¤##@# #@##¤*=»^¨
¨^»=*¤¤¤## ##¤¤¤*=»^¨
¨^»=*¤##@# #@##¤*=»^¨
¨^»===**## 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?" ####¤*=»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»*¤# #¤*»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^»*## ##*»^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»=¤##@## ##@##¤=»^¨
¨^»=*¤#### ####¤*=»^¨
¨¨^^^»==*# #*==»^^^¨¨