¨~~^%§§@## ##@§§%^~~¨
¨¨¨¨~~^%%§ §%%^~~¨¨¨¨
¨~~^%§§@@# #@@§§%^~~¨
¨~~^%§§§@# #@§§§%^~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~^§§ §§^~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~^%§§@## 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?" ##@§§%^~~¨
¨~~^%§§@@# #@@§§%^~~¨
¨~~^%§§### ###§§%^~~¨
¨~~^%§§@## ##@§§%^~~¨
¨~~^%§§### ###§§%^~~¨
¨~~^%§§@## ##@§§%^~~¨