¨-«\*£@#@# #@#@£*\«-¨
¨¨-«\*£@#@ @#@£*\«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«\*£@# #@£*\«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«\*£@#@ @#@£*\«-¨¨
¨-«\*£@#@# #@#@£*\«-¨
¨¨-«\*£@#@ 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?" @#@£*\«-¨¨
¨-«\*£@#@# #@#@£*\«-¨
¨¨-«\*£@#@ @#@£*\«-¨¨
¨¨¨-«\*£@# #@£*\«-¨¨¨
¨¨-«\*£@#@ @#@£*\«-¨¨
¨-«\*£@#@# #@#@£*\«-¨