¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨ ¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨
@@@@@@@¨¨¨ @@¨¨¨@@@@@
@@@@@@¨¨@¨ @¨¨@¨¨@@@@
@@@@@¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@
@@@@¨¨@@@@ ¨@@@@@¨¨@@
@@@¨¨¨¨@@@ 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?" @@@¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨¨@@¨¨¨¨@@ @@¨¨@@¨¨¨¨
@¨¨¨¨@@¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@
¨¨@@¨¨¨¨@@ ¨¨@@@@¨¨@@
¨¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@ ¨¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨
@@@@¨¨¨¨¨¨ @@¨¨¨¨@@@@