##$%†~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~†%$##
#$%†~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~†%$#
$%†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†%$
%†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†%
†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†
%†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†
%†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†%
$%†~-¨¨¨¨¨ I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ¨¨¨¨¨-~†%$
#$%†~-¨¨¨¨ KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ¨¨¨¨-~†%$#
##$%†~-¨¨¨ ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ¨¨¨-~†%$##
###$%†~-¨¨ SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS ¨¨-~†%$###
####$%†~-¨ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ¨-~†%$####
###$%†~-¨¨ DETOUR?" ¨¨-~†%$###
##$%†~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~†%$##
#$%†~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~†%$#
$%†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†%$
%†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†%
†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†