¨###¨##### ¨#¨##¨¨#¨#
#¨¨##¨¨¨¨# ###¨#¨####
#¨#¨#¨¨¨## ¨¨####¨¨¨¨
#####¨¨#¨¨ ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨#¨##¨# ##¨¨##¨¨#¨
¨¨¨###¨### 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?" #¨¨#¨#####
¨¨¨##¨##¨¨ #¨###¨¨¨¨#
¨¨#¨##¨#¨# ##¨¨#¨¨¨##
¨###¨##### ¨#¨##¨¨#¨#
#¨¨##¨¨¨¨# ###¨#¨####
#¨#¨#¨¨¨## ¨¨####¨¨¨¨