¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~= =~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~ ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" %=~-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~= =~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~ ~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨