¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨@ ¨@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@
¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨@@@@¨¨
@@@@¨¨@¨¨¨ ¨@@¨¨@@¨¨@
@@@¨¨¨¨¨@@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@@@¨¨@ @@@@@@@@@¨
¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨ 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?" @@¨¨@@@@¨¨
@@@@@¨¨¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@
@@@@¨¨@@@@ ¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨@@¨¨¨¨@@@ @¨¨¨¨@@@@¨
¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@@ ¨¨@@¨¨@@¨¨
@@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@