¨,»;*&#@@# #@@#&*;»,¨
¨,»;*&#@@# #@@#&*;»,¨
¨,»;*&#@@@ @@@#&*;»,¨
¨,»;*&#@@# #@@#&*;»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨»*&&@ @&&*»¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»;*&&&#@ 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?" @@@#&*;»,¨
¨¨,»»;;&## ##&;;»»,¨¨
¨,»;*&##@@ @@##&*;»,¨
¨,»;*&#@@@ @@@#&*;»,¨
¨¨¨¨,,»*#@ @#*»,,¨¨¨¨
¨,»;*&#@@@ @@@#&*;»,¨