,:«/*¤&¶@# #@¶&¤*/«:,
,:«««///¤¶ ¶¤///«««:,
,:«////¤¶@ @¶¤////«:,
,,,,,«/*&@ @&*/«,,,,,
,,,,,««/¤& &¤/««,,,,,
,:«/*¤&¶¶¶ 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?" #@¶&¤*/«:,
,,,:/****& &****/:,,,
,,::«*¤¤¤& &¤¤¤*«::,,
,:«/*¤¤¤¤¶ ¶¤¤¤¤*/«:,
,:«/*¤&¶@# #@¶&¤*/«:,
,:«/*¤&¶@# #@¶&¤*/«:,