¨~»\=%¤@## ##@¤%=\»~¨
¨~»\=%¤@## ##@¤%=\»~¨
¨~»\=%¤### ###¤%=\»~¨
¨~»\=%¤@## ##@¤%=\»~¨
¨¨¨~\==¤@# #@¤==\~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»==¤@ 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?" ##@¤%=\»~¨
¨~»\=%¤@@# #@@¤%=\»~¨
¨¨¨¨»»=%@@ @@%=»»¨¨¨¨
¨~»\==%¤¤¤ ¤¤¤%==\»~¨
¨¨¨¨~~»»=¤ ¤=»»~~¨¨¨¨
¨~»\=%¤@## ##@¤%=\»~¨