¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~» »~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»= =»~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~»=% %=»~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~»=%% %%=»~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~»=%%@ @%%=»~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~»=%%@# 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?" %%=»~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~»=% %=»~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~»= =»~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~» »~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~» »~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨