¨,»^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# #@#¤@$^»,¨
¨¨¨,»$@¤#@ @#¤@$»,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,^$$¤¤ ¤¤$$^,¨¨¨¨
¨¨,,^^^^@¤ ¤@^^^^,,¨¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING #@#¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME #@#¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND #@#¤@$^»,¨
¨¨¨¨,»»$@¤ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ¤@$»»,¨¨¨¨
¨,»^^^$@¤¤ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ¤¤@$^^^»,¨
¨¨¨¨»^$@@¤ CIGARETTES. ¤@@$^»¨¨¨¨
¨,»^$@¤@## ##@¤@$^»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»$¤# ############################## #¤$»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨»$@¤¤# #¤¤@$»¨¨¨¨
¨,»^$@¤#@@ WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT @@#¤@$^»,¨
¨¨¨¨»^^$¤@ THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE @¤$^^»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨»»$$@# FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. #@$$»»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨»»^@¤¤ 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 #@@^,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»^$@¤### AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ###¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# DETOUR?" #@#¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@@ @@#¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# #@#¤@$^»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨»$@@# #@@$»¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»^$@¤##@ @##¤@$^»,¨
¨,»^$@¤#@# #@#¤@$^»,¨