¨,»\*@@@@@ @@@@@*\»,¨
¨¨¨¨»\\@@@ @@@\\»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»*@@ @@*»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»\*@@@@@ @@@@@*\»,¨
¨,»\*@@@@# #@@@@*\»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»\@@ 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?" #@@@@*\»,¨
¨,»\*@@@@# #@@@@*\»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,\@@ @@\,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»\*@@@@@ @@@@@*\»,¨
¨,»\*@@@@# #@@@@*\»,¨
¨,»»\\@@@@ @@@@\\»»,¨