¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~† †~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~†* *†~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~†*§ §*†~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~†*§¤ 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?" ¤§*†~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~†*§ §*†~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~†* *†~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~† †~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨