¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~= =~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=% %=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~=%§ 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?" =~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~ ~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨