..:-†%§£¶# #¶£§%†-:..
.:-†%§£¶## ##¶£§%†-:.
..:-†%§£¶# #¶£§%†-:..
...:-†%§£¶ ¶£§%†-:...
....:-†%§£ £§%†-:....
.....:-†%§ 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?" §%†-:.....
......:-†% %†-:......
.......:-† †-:.......
........:- -:........
.........: :.........
.......... ..........