%/».¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/%
%%/».¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.»/%%
§%%/».¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.»/%%§
@§%%/».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»/%%§@
#@§%%/».¨¨ ¨¨.»/%%§@#
##@§%%/».¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/
».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
/».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/
%/».¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»/%