¨¨@@¨@@¨@¨ @¨¨@@¨@@¨@
@¨@¨@@¨@@@ ¨@¨@¨@@¨@@
¨@@@@¨@@¨¨ @@@@@@¨@@¨
¨@¨¨¨@@¨@¨ @¨¨¨¨¨@@¨@
@@@¨¨@¨@@@ @@¨¨¨¨@¨@@
¨¨¨@¨@@@¨¨ 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?" @@¨¨@¨@¨¨@
@¨@¨¨¨¨@¨¨ ¨¨@¨@@@@¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨@@¨ @¨@@@¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨@¨¨@¨@ ¨@@¨¨@¨¨@¨
@¨@¨@@¨@@@ ¨@¨@¨@@¨@@
¨@@@@¨@@¨¨ @@@@@@¨@@¨