¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨ #¨¨¨¨¨##¨#
#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨ ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨##
¨#¨¨####¨¨ ###¨¨¨###¨
¨##¨#¨¨¨#¨ #¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#
##¨###¨¨## ##¨##¨##¨#
¨¨##¨¨#¨#¨ 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?" ##¨¨###¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###### #¨#¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨ ######¨##¨
¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨ #¨¨¨¨¨##¨#
#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨ ¨#¨¨¨¨#¨##
¨#¨¨####¨¨ ###¨¨¨###¨