#§$\::....                                          ....::\$§#
¶§§**~....                                          ....~**§§¶
##¶§$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$§¶##
##¶§$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$§¶##
##¶§$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$§¶##
##¶§$*\~:.  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?"                 ......:\$¶
§§$$$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$$$§§
#§*~......                                          ......~*§#
##¶§$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$§¶##
##¶§$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$§¶##
###§$*\~:.                                          .:~\*$§###