¨¨¨~~-**## ##**-~~¨¨¨
¨~-==***¤# #¤***==-~¨
¨~-=*¤#### ####¤*=-~¨
¨~-=*¤#### ####¤*=-~¨
¨~-=*¤#### ####¤*=-~¨
¨¨¨-==**## 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?" ####¤*=-~¨
¨¨¨~~-==*# #*==-~~¨¨¨
¨~-=*¤#### ####¤*=-~¨
¨~-=****¤# #¤****=-~¨
¨~-=*¤#### ####¤*=-~¨
¨~-=*¤#### ####¤*=-~¨