¨^=/$$#### ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## CIGARETTES. ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### ############################## ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ############################## ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### CALL?" ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## FEW TIMES. ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨^=/$$### DETOUR?" ###$$/=^¨¨
¨^=/$$#### ####$$/=^¨
¨¨^=/$$### ###$$/=^¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ##$$/=^¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^=/$$# #$$/=^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^=/$$## ##$$/=^¨¨¨