¨##¨¨¨##¨# ¨#¨#¨¨¨¨#¨
#¨#¨¨#¨##¨ ####¨¨¨##¨
###¨###¨## ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##
¨¨##¨¨##¨# ¨¨##¨###¨¨
¨#¨#¨#¨### ¨#¨##¨¨#¨¨
#######¨¨¨ 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?" #¨¨#¨##¨¨#
¨¨¨#####¨¨ #¨###¨#¨#¨
¨¨#¨¨¨¨#¨¨ ##¨¨#####¨
¨##¨¨¨##¨# ¨#¨#¨¨¨¨#¨
#¨#¨¨#¨##¨ ####¨¨¨##¨
###¨###¨## ¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##