¨-~*§§#@@# #@@#§§*~-¨
¨¨¨-**§#@@ @@#§**-¨¨¨
¨-~*§§#@## ##@#§§*~-¨
¨-~§§#@### ###@#§§~-¨
¨-~*§§#@@@ @@@#§§*~-¨
¨-~*§§@### 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?" ##§~-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~~§§@# #@§§~~-¨¨¨
¨-~*§§###@ @###§§*~-¨
¨¨¨¨~~§§## ##§§~~¨¨¨¨
¨-~*§§#@## ##@#§§*~-¨
¨-~*§§#### ####§§*~-¨