¨-~**==### ###==**~-¨
¨-~****§#@ @#§****~-¨
¨-~*===§#@ @#§===*~-¨
¨-~*=§##@# #@##§=*~-¨
¨¨¨~~=§§§# #§§§=~~¨¨¨
¨-~*=§##@# 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?" #@##§=*~-¨
¨-~*=§#### ####§=*~-¨
¨-~*=§##@@ @@##§=*~-¨
¨-~*=§##@# #@##§=*~-¨
¨-~~*==##@ @##==*~~-¨
¨¨¨¨-~==§# #§==~-¨¨¨¨