¨¨¨~«*^*££ ££*^*«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«*^*££# #££*^*«~¨¨
¨~«*^*££## ##££*^*«~¨
¨¨~«*^*££# #££*^*«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«*^*££ ££*^*«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«*^*£ 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?" #££*^*«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«*^*££ ££*^*«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«*^*£ £*^*«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«*^* *^*«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«*^*£ £*^*«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«*^*££ ££*^*«~¨¨¨