.~«/§%####                                          ####%§/«~.
.~«/§%####                                          ####%§/«~.
.~«/§%####                                          ####%§/«~.
...~~«§%%#                                          #%%§«~~...
.~«/§%####                                          ####%§/«~.
.~«/§%####  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?"                 ####%§/«~.
..~~//§%%#                                          #%%§//~~..
..~~««/%##                                          ##%/««~~..
.~«/§%####                                          ####%§/«~.
....«/§%##                                          ##%§/«....
.~«/§%####                                          ####%§/«~.