#@#&%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%&#@#
#@#&%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%&#@#
###&%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%&###
@##&%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%&##@
###&%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%&###
#@#&%*^-.¨ 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?" ¨.^*%&#@##
&&**-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-**&&
#@#&%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%&#@#
##@#&%*-.¨ ¨.-*%&#@##
##@#%*^-.¨ ¨.-^*%#@##
&**^.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.^**&