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