¨¨¨¨.-:†§@ @§†:-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-:†§@@ @@§†:-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-:†§@@# #@@§†:-.¨¨
¨.-:†§@@## ##@@§†:-.¨
¨¨.-:†§@@# #@@§†:-.¨¨
¨¨¨.-:†§@@ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.- -.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.-: :-.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.-:† †:-.¨¨¨¨¨¨