¨.~**&@### ###@&**~.¨
¨.~**§&@## ##@&§**~.¨
¨.~*§&@### ###@&§*~.¨
¨.~**§&@@@ @@@&§**~.¨
¨¨...~**&& &&**~...¨¨
¨.~**§&&&& 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?" @&§***.¨¨¨
¨.~**§&@## ##@&§**~.¨
¨.~*****&# #&*****~.¨
¨¨¨¨.**§&# #&§**.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.*§&@ @&§*.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~**§&@## ##@&§**~.¨