¨¨~-=*%### ###%*=-~¨¨
¨~-=*%#### ####%*=-~¨
¨¨~-=*%### ###%*=-~¨¨
¨¨¨~-=*%## ##%*=-~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-=*%# #%*=-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-=*% 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?" ##%*=-~¨¨¨
¨¨~-=*%### ###%*=-~¨¨
¨~-=*%#### ####%*=-~¨
¨¨~-=*%### ###%*=-~¨¨
¨¨¨~-=*%## ##%*=-~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-=*%# #%*=-~¨¨¨¨