,^~;**&¶##                                          ##¶&**;~^,
,^~;***&&¶                                          ¶&&***;~^,
,^~;**&¶##                                          ##¶&**;~^,
,,,,^;***&                                          &***;^,,,,
,,,,~;**&¶                                          ¶&**;~,,,,
,^~;**&¶##  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?"                 ¶&**;^,,,,
,,,,,~;;*&                                          &*;;~,,,,,
,^~;**&¶##                                          ##¶&**;~^,
,^~;**&¶##                                          ##¶&**;~^,
,^~;****&¶                                          ¶&****;~^,
,^~;**&¶##                                          ##¶&**;~^,