¨-=/=$§§§# #§§§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ###§$=/=-¨
¨¨¨¨¨--==§ 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 ##§=/-¨¨¨¨
¨-=/=$§### ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ###§$=/=-¨
¨-==//$§## AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##§$//==-¨
¨-=/=$§### DETOUR?" ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨-=/=$§### ###§$=/=-¨
¨¨¨-====$# #$====-¨¨¨