¨¨¨::=%%§@ @§%%=::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:††@§ §@††:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:=†@@@ @@@†=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%§# #§%=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=†%@§@## ##@§@%†=:¨
¨:=†%@§@## 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?" ##@§@%†=:¨
¨¨¨=††%%§@ @§%%††=¨¨¨
¨¨¨:=%@@@# #@@@%=:¨¨¨
¨:=†%@@@@@ @@@@@%†=:¨
¨:=†%@§@## ##@§@%†=:¨
¨¨:::†%%§# #§%%†:::¨¨