†^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^†
*†^~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~^†*
£*†^~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~^†*£
#£*†^~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~^†*£#
##£*†^~-¨¨ ¨¨-~^†*£##
###£*†^~-¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^
†^~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~^†
*†^~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~^†*
£*†^~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~^†*£
#£*†^~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~^†*£#
##£*†^~-¨¨ ¨¨-~^†*£##