¨^~:*¤&¶## ##¶&¤*:~^¨
¨¨¨¨~:¤&&# #&&¤:~¨¨¨¨
¨^~:*¤&¶## ##¶&¤*:~^¨
¨^~:*¤&¶## ##¶&¤*:~^¨
¨^~:*¤&¶## ##¶&¤*:~^¨
¨^~:*¤&¶## 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?" ¶¶¶&¤*:~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^:*& &*:^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~:::::*& &*:::::~^¨
¨^~:*¤&¶## ##¶&¤*:~^¨
¨^~:*¤&¶## ##¶&¤*:~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^~*&# #&*~^¨¨¨¨¨