,^»*^£¤@## ##@¤£^*»^,
,,^»*^£¤@# #@¤£^*»^,,
,,,^»*^£¤@ @¤£^*»^,,,
,,^»*^£¤@# #@¤£^*»^,,
,^»*^£¤@## ##@¤£^*»^,
,,^»*^£¤@# 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?" #@¤£^*»^,,
,^»*^£¤@## ##@¤£^*»^,
,,^»*^£¤@# #@¤£^*»^,,
,,,^»*^£¤@ @¤£^*»^,,,
,,^»*^£¤@# #@¤£^*»^,,
,^»*^£¤@## ##@¤£^*»^,