¨¨¨¨¨¨~\%# #%\~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~\*%#### ####%*\~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~\%# #%\~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~\***## ##***\~¨¨¨
¨~~\*%#### ####%*\~~¨
¨~~\*%#### 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?" ###*~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~\*%#### ####%*\~~¨
¨~~\*%#### ####%*\~~¨
¨~~\*%#### ####%*\~~¨
¨~~\*%#### ####%*\~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~\%# #%\~~¨¨¨¨¨