%*†=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=†*%
¤%*†=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=†*%¤
@¤%*†=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=†*%¤@
#@¤%*†=^¨¨ ¨¨^=†*%¤@#
##@¤%*†=^¨ ¨^=†*%¤@##
#@¤%*†=^¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
†=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=†