,,~;§£@£##                                          ##£@£§;~,,
,,,,,,;§£@                                          @£§;,,,,,,
,,,,~;§£££                                          £££§;~,,,,
,,,,,;;;£@                                          @£;;;,,,,,
,,~;§£@£##                                          ##£@£§;~,,
,,,~;;£@@£  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?"                 ###££§;~,,
,,~;£@£###                                          ###£@£;~,,
,,~;§£@£##                                          ##£@£§;~,,
,,,,~~;£££                                          £££;~~,,,,
,,~;§££###                                          ###££§;~,,
,,,,,~;££@                                          @££;~,,,,,