¨¨¨¨¨~***& &***~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=~¨
¨~=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=~¨
¨¨¨~=***@# #@***=~¨¨¨
¨~=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=~¨
¨~=*^*&@@# 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?" &^***=~¨¨¨
¨¨¨~****@@ @@****~¨¨¨
¨~=*****@# #@*****=~¨
¨~=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=~¨
¨~=*^*&@## ##@&*^*=~¨
¨~=*^*&### ###&*^*=~¨