¨¨¨¨¨,»\*& &*\»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,»\* *\»,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»\*& &*\»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»\*&# #&*\»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»\*&#@ @#&*\»,¨¨¨
¨¨,»\*&#@# 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?" #&*\»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»\*& &*\»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,»\* *\»,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»\*& &*\»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,»\*&# #&*\»,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,»\*&#@ @#&*\»,¨¨¨