¨¨.~*†§#@# #@#§†*~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~*†§#@ @#§†*~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*†§# #§†*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~*†§#@ @#§†*~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~*†§#@# #@#§†*~.¨¨
¨.~*†§#@## 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?" ##@#§†*~.¨
¨¨.~*†§#@# #@#§†*~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~*†§#@ @#§†*~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~*†§# #§†*~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~*†§#@ @#§†*~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~*†§#@# #@#§†*~.¨¨