¨¨¨~=\*%## ##%*\=~¨¨¨
¨¨~=\*%### ###%*\=~¨¨
¨~=\*%#### ####%*\=~¨
¨¨~=\*%### ###%*\=~¨¨
¨¨¨~=\*%## ##%*\=~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~=\*%# 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?" =~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\ \=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~=\* *\=~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~=\*% %*\=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~=\*%# #%*\=~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~=\*%## ##%*\=~¨¨¨