###@§=:=,¨                                          ¨,=:=§@###
@§§===,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,===§§@
§==,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,==§
###@§$=:,¨                                          ¨,:=$§@###
§$::::==,¨                                          ¨,==::::$§
###§$=:=,¨  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ¨,=:=$§###
##@§$=:=,¨ ALONG THE  RUSTY  CARGO  CARS  LIKE SOME ¨,=:=$§@##
@@@§$=:=,¨ SPECIES  OF  FERROPHAGE INSECT.  UP  AND ¨,=:=$§@@@
§§§§$=:=,¨ DOWN  THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS,  OILING ¨,=:=$§§§§
##@§$=:=,¨     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ¨,=:=$§@##
§==¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                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 ¨,=:=§@###
@§$:=¨¨¨¨¨ KARL PUTS DOWN THE  HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ¨¨¨¨¨=:$§@
##@§$=:=,¨ ME  ON MY  BACK.  "ALLRIGHT  BOY. I JUST ¨,=:=$§@##
##@§$=:=,¨ SOLD A  MISSILE."  HE  PRACTICALLY BEAMS ¨,=:=$§@##
##@§$=:=,¨ AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA  MAKE A ¨,=:=$§@##
#@@§$=:=,¨                 DETOUR?"                 ¨,=:=$§@@#
##@§$=:=,¨                                          ¨,=:=$§@##
##@§$=:=,¨                                          ¨,=:=$§@##
#@§$:,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,:$§@#
##@§$=:=,¨                                          ¨,=:=$§@##
##@§$=:=,¨                                          ¨,=:=$§@##