¨¨¨¨¨-~^%@ @%^~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^% %^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^ ^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~ ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^ ^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^% 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?" ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^ ^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^% %^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-~^%@ @%^~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~^%@@ @@%^~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~^%@@# #@@%^~-¨¨¨