¨¨¨¨--==%@ @%==--¨¨¨¨
¨,-=%%§@@@ @@@§%%=-,¨
¨¨,,-%%%%@ @%%%%-,,¨¨
¨¨¨¨----%§ §%----¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-==%%§ §%%==-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=%§§§ 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?" #§%=-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-%%§ §%%-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=%%@ @%%=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,-=%%§@@@ @@@§%%=-,¨
¨,-=%%§@## ##@§%%=-,¨
¨,-=%%@### ###@%%=-,¨