¨^~††===&& &&===††~^¨
¨^~†=@&### ###&@=†~^¨
¨^~†==@@&# #&@@==†~^¨
¨^~†=@&#@# #@#&@=†~^¨
¨^~†=@&### ###&@=†~^¨
¨¨¨^^^^†@& 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?" @&&=~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^~~=&@ @&=~~^¨¨¨¨
¨^~†====&& &&====†~^¨
¨^~†=@&#@@ @@#&@=†~^¨
¨¨¨¨^~~=@& &@=~~^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^^~=& &=~^^¨¨¨¨¨