.,~/%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%/~,.
..,~/%*§¶#                                          #¶§*%/~,..
...,~/%*§¶                                          ¶§*%/~,...
....,~/%*§                                          §*%/~,....
.....,~/%*                                          *%/~,.....
......,~/%  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?"                 #¶§*%/~,..
.,~/%*§¶##                                          ##¶§*%/~,.
..,~/%*§¶#                                          #¶§*%/~,..
...,~/%*§¶                                          ¶§*%/~,...
....,~/%*§                                          §*%/~,....
.....,~/%*                                          *%/~,.....