###¨#¨¨### ##¨¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨###¨#¨¨# ¨#¨##¨###¨
¨#¨¨###¨## ###¨##¨¨#¨
##¨#¨¨##¨¨ ¨¨##¨#¨##¨
¨###¨#¨#¨# ¨#¨####¨##
#¨¨####### 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?" ###¨#¨##¨¨
¨##¨¨¨#¨## ¨¨####¨#¨¨
#¨#¨¨###¨# ¨#¨¨¨###¨¨
###¨#¨¨### ##¨¨#¨¨#¨#
¨¨###¨#¨¨# ¨#¨##¨###¨
¨#¨¨###¨## ###¨##¨¨#¨