&,,&&&&,&&                                          ,&&,,,&&,&
&,&,,,&&,,                                          &,&,,&,&&,
&&&,,&,&,,                                          &&&,&&&,&&
,,&,&&&&,&                                          ,,&&,,&&,,
,&&&,,,&&,                                          ,&,&,&,&,,
&,,&,,&,&,  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?"                 &&&,,&,,,,
&,&&,&,&,,                                          ,,&,&&,,,,
&&,&&&&&,,                                          ,&&&,&,,,&
,&&,,,,&,,                                          &,,&&&,,&,
&,&,,,&&,,                                          &,&,,&,&&,
&&&,,&,&,,                                          &&&,&&&,&&