..,«†*@&¶# #¶&@*†«,..
...,«†*@&¶ ¶&@*†«,...
....,«†*@& &@*†«,....
.....,«†*@ @*†«,.....
....,«†*@& &@*†«,....
...,«†*@&¶ 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?" @*†«,.....
....,«†*@& &@*†«,....
...,«†*@&¶ ¶&@*†«,...
..,«†*@&¶# #¶&@*†«,..
.,«†*@&¶## ##¶&@*†«,.
..,«†*@&¶# #¶&@*†«,..