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