&&&,,&,&,&                                          &&&&,,&,&&
,,,&,&&&&&                                          &,,,&,&&&,
,,,&&&,,,,                                          &&,,&&&,,&
&,,&,,&,,,                                          &,&,&,,&,&
,&,&&,&&,,                                          ,&&&&&,&&&
&&&&,&&,&,  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?"                 ,,,&&,&,,,
&&,&,,,&,,                                          &,,&,&&&,,
&,&&&,,&&,                                          ,&,&&&,,&,
&&&,,&,&,&                                          &&&&,,&,&&
,,,&,&&&&&                                          &,,,&,&&&,
,,,&&&,,,,                                          &&,,&&&,,&