¨¨¨::»»*&£ £&*»»::¨¨¨
¨:»^*&£££@ @£££&*^»:¨
¨:»^*&££@# #@££&*^»:¨
¨¨¨¨¨»^*££ ££*^»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨»^*££@ @££*^»¨¨¨¨
¨:»^*&££@@ 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?" @@££&*^»:¨
¨:»^*&£££@ @£££&*^»:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»^&£ £&^»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:»^*&££@@ @@££&*^»:¨
¨:»^*&££@# #@££&*^»:¨
¨:»^*&££@# #@££&*^»:¨