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