¨¨¨¨.**%## ##%**.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨..==*^& &^*==..¨¨¨
¨.=*^%%&## ##&%%^*=.¨
¨.=*^%&### ###&%^*=.¨
¨.=*^%&### ###&%^*=.¨
¨¨..=*^^%& 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?" &&%%*.¨¨¨¨
¨.===*^%&# #&%^*===.¨
¨.=*^%&### ###&%^*=.¨
¨.=*^%&### ###&%^*=.¨
¨.=*^%&### ###&%^*=.¨
¨.=*^%&### ###&%^*=.¨