¨,~\*$&@## ##@&$*\~,¨
¨,~\*$&@@# #@@&$*\~,¨
¨,~\**$$&& &&$$**\~,¨
¨,~\*$&@## ##@&$*\~,¨
¨,~\***&&& &&&***\~,¨
¨¨¨¨~~\$@# 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?" ###@&*\~,¨
¨,~\*$&@## ##@&$*\~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,,~*& &*~,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~\*$&@## ##@&$*\~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~\$& &$\~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,~\*$&@## ##@&$*\~,¨