,,,,~~=£££                                          £££=~~,,,,
,,,,~«=££@                                          @££=«~,,,,
,~«=*££@##                                          ##@££*=«~,
,~«=*££###                                          ###££*=«~,
,,,~==*£££                                          £££*==~,,,
,~«=*££###  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?"                 @££*««~,,,
,,,,~~«*££                                          ££*«~~,,,,
,~«=*££@##                                          ##@££*=«~,
,~«=*££@##                                          ##@££*=«~,
,,,,,~=*££                                          ££*=~,,,,,
,,,,,««*£#                                          #£*««,,,,,