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