¨^«=%¤£@##                                          ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨^«=%¤£@##                                          ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^=%¤£                                          £¤%=^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^«=%¤£@##                                          ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨^«=%¤£@##                                          ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨^^^=%%¤£@  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?"                 ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨^«=%¤£@##                                          ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨¨¨¨^^=%£#                                          #£%=^^¨¨¨¨
¨^«====%£@                                          @£%====«^¨
¨^«=%¤£@##                                          ##@£¤%=«^¨
¨¨¨«=%%%££                                          ££%%%=«¨¨¨