,,,~~††==§                                          §==††~~,,,
,.~†=£§@##                                          ##@§£=†~.,
,.~†=£§@##                                          ##@§£=†~.,
,.~†=£§@@#                                          #@@§£=†~.,
,,,,,~~==§                                          §==~~,,,,,
,.~†=£§@@@  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?"                 @§§=~,,,,,
,,,,.~†=£§                                          §£=†~.,,,,
,.~=£§@###                                          ###@§£=~.,
,.~†=£££§#                                          #§£££=†~.,
,.~†=£§@##                                          ##@§£=†~.,
,.~†=£§@##                                          ##@§£=†~.,