¨,=;*@&### ###&@*;=,¨
¨,=;*@&### ###&@*;=,¨
¨,==;;@&&# #&&@;;==,¨
¨,=;*@&### ###&@*;=,¨
¨,=;*@&### ###&@*;=,¨
¨¨¨,=**@## 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?" #&***==¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,;**&# #&**;,¨¨¨¨
¨,=;*&#### ####&*;=,¨
¨,=;*@&### ###&@*;=,¨
¨,=;*@&&&& &&&&@*;=,¨
¨,=;*@&### ###&@*;=,¨