¨¨¨¨¨¨,=\% %\=,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=\%§ §%\=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=\%§# #§%\=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,=\%§#@ @#§%\=,¨¨¨
¨¨,=\%§#@# #@#§%\=,¨¨
¨,=\%§#@## 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?" ##@#§%\=,¨
¨¨,=\%§#@# #@#§%\=,¨¨
¨¨¨,=\%§#@ @#§%\=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,=\%§# #§%\=,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=\%§ §%\=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=\% %\=,¨¨¨¨¨¨