,,,«*§¤£@# #@£¤§*«,,,
,,,,«*§¤£@ @£¤§*«,,,,
,,,,,«*§¤£ £¤§*«,,,,,
,,,,,,«*§¤ ¤§*«,,,,,,
,,,,,«*§¤£ £¤§*«,,,,,
,,,,«*§¤£@ 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?" ¤§*«,,,,,,
,,,,,«*§¤£ £¤§*«,,,,,
,,,,«*§¤£@ @£¤§*«,,,,
,,,«*§¤£@# #@£¤§*«,,,
,,«*§¤£@## ##@£¤§*«,,
,,,«*§¤£@# #@£¤§*«,,,