¨¨¨.=*=&§#                                          #§&=*=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=*=&§##                                          ##§&=*=.¨¨
¨.=*=&§###                                          ###§&=*=.¨
¨¨.=*=&§##                                          ##§&=*=.¨¨
¨¨¨.=*=&§#                                          #§&=*=.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=*=&§  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?"                 §&=*=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.=*=&§#                                          #§&=*=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=*=&§##                                          ##§&=*=.¨¨
¨.=*=&§###                                          ###§&=*=.¨
¨¨.=*=&§##                                          ##§&=*=.¨¨
¨¨¨.=*=&§#                                          #§&=*=.¨¨¨