....^«%%%#                                          #%%%«^....
....^«%%%&                                          &%%%«^....
...««%%%%#                                          #%%%%««...
.^«\%%&&##                                          ##&&%%\«^.
.^«\%%&&&#                                          #&&&%%\«^.
.^«\%%&###  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?"                 ###&%%\«^.
.^«\%%%%%#                                          #%%%%%\«^.
.^«\%%&###                                          ###&%%\«^.
.^«\%%&###                                          ###&%%\«^.
.^«\%%&###                                          ###&%%\«^.
.^«\%%&###                                          ###&%%\«^.