¨^=\*&§@## ##@§&*\=^¨
¨¨¨¨==***§ §***==¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^\**&§ §&**\^¨¨¨¨
¨^=\*&§@## ##@§&*\=^¨
¨^=\*&§@## ##@§&*\=^¨
¨^=\*&§@## 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?" §**=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^=\*&§@## ##@§&*\=^¨
¨¨¨=\**§§§ §§§**\=¨¨¨
¨¨^^=*&§@# #@§&*=^^¨¨
¨^=\*&§@## ##@§&*\=^¨
¨¨¨^^^=*&@ @&*=^^^¨¨¨