¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨@@ @¨¨¨¨@@¨¨¨
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨@ ¨¨@@¨¨¨¨@@
¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@¨ ¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨¨
@@@@@@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@@@
@@@@@¨¨@@¨ 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?" @@@@¨¨@@¨¨
¨@@@@@@@¨¨ @@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@@@@@¨¨@ @@¨¨@@@@@@
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@@¨
@@¨¨@¨¨@@@ @@@@¨¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@ @@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨