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