¨~«=^@@### ###@@^=«~¨
¨¨~«=^@@## ##@@^=«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«=^@@# #@@^=«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«=^@@ @@^=«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«=^@ @^=«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~«=^ 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?" ^=«~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«= =«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~« «~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨