#$%†=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=†%$#
##$%†=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=†%$##
###$%†=-¨¨ ¨¨-=†%$###
####$%†=-¨ ¨-=†%$####
###$%†=-¨¨ ¨¨-=†%$###
##$%†=-¨¨¨ ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ¨¨¨-=†%$##
#$%†=-¨¨¨¨ ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ¨¨¨¨-=†%$#
$%†=-¨¨¨¨¨ SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ¨¨¨¨¨-=†%$
%†=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=
†=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=†
%†=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=†%