##§§%**--¨ ¨--**%§§##
#§§§%**--¨ ¨--**%§§§#
###§%**--¨ ¨--**%§###
###§%**--¨ ¨--**%§###
###§%**--¨ ¨--**%§###
####§%*--¨ 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?" ¨--*%§####
#§%***---¨ ¨---***%§#
#§§%***--¨ ¨--***%§§#
####%**--¨ ¨--**%####
###§%**--¨ ¨--**%§###
§§*--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--*§§