¨.«/%%&@## ##@&%%/«.¨
¨.«/%%&@## ##@&%%/«.¨
¨.«/%%&@## ##@&%%/«.¨
¨¨¨..//%%@ @%%//..¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨./%& &%/.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨.««/%%@@ 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?" &&%/«««..¨
¨.«/%%&@## ##@&%%/«.¨
¨.«/%%&@## ##@&%%/«.¨
¨./%%&@### ###@&%%/.¨
¨.«/%%&@## ##@&%%/«.¨
¨.«////%&& &&%////«.¨