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