¨¨.«/*&§@# #@§&*/«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«/*&§@ @§&*/«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«/*&§@# #@§&*/«.¨¨
¨.«/*&§@## ##@§&*/«.¨
¨¨.«/*&§@# #@§&*/«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«/*&§@ 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?" ##@§&*/«.¨
¨¨.«/*&§@# #@§&*/«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«/*&§@ @§&*/«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«/*&§@# #@§&*/«.¨¨
¨.«/*&§@## ##@§&*/«.¨
¨¨.«/*&§@# #@§&*/«.¨¨