¨¨¨¨¨¨^=@£ £@=^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨»*@@£ £@@*»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=***£# 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?" £@==^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨
¨¨¨¨^»=*£¶ ¶£*=»^¨¨¨¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨
¨^»=*@£¶## ##¶£@*=»^¨