###§@%†».¨ ¨.»†%@§###
##§@%†».¨¨ ¨¨.»†%@§##
#§@%†».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»†%@§#
##§@%†».¨¨ ¨¨.»†%@§##
###§@%†».¨ ¨.»†%@§###
##§@%†».¨¨ 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?" ¨¨.»†%@§##
###§@%†».¨ ¨.»†%@§###
##§@%†».¨¨ ¨¨.»†%@§##
#§@%†».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»†%@§#
##§@%†».¨¨ ¨¨.»†%@§##
###§@%†».¨ ¨.»†%@§###