####*§;~,¨ ¨,~;§*####
##*;,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,;*##
##**§;~,¨¨ ¨¨,~;§**##
####*§;~,¨ ¨,~;§*####
###§;,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,;§###
#§~~,¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨,;§###
##§~~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~~§##
####*§;~,¨ ¨,~;§*####
##§§;~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~;§§##
#*;,,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,,;*#
####*§;~,¨ ¨,~;§*####