##¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨ #¨##¨####¨
#¨#¨¨¨¨¨## ¨##¨##¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#
##¨¨#¨¨¨## ####¨###¨#
¨¨#¨##¨¨#¨ #¨¨¨##¨¨##
#¨###¨#¨## 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?" #¨##¨###¨¨
¨#¨#¨#¨### ¨##¨##¨¨#¨
¨#######¨¨ ##¨##¨#¨##
##¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨ #¨##¨####¨
#¨#¨¨¨¨¨## ¨##¨##¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨¨¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#