¨¨¨¨:~\%&§ §&%\~:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨:~\%&§@ @§&%\~:¨¨¨
¨¨:~\%&§@# #@§&%\~:¨¨
¨:~\%&§@## ##@§&%\~:¨
¨¨:~\%&§@# #@§&%\~:¨¨
¨¨¨:~\%&§@ 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?" :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~ ~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:~\ \~:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:~\% %\~:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:~\%& &%\~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:~\%&§ §&%\~:¨¨¨¨