,~»†*%§@##                                          ##@§%*†»~,
,,~»†*%§@#                                          #@§%*†»~,,
,,,~»†*%§@                                          @§%*†»~,,,
,,,,~»†*%§                                          §%*†»~,,,,
,,,,,~»†*%                                          %*†»~,,,,,
,,,,,,~»†*  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?"                 #@§%*†»~,,
,~»†*%§@##                                          ##@§%*†»~,
,,~»†*%§@#                                          #@§%*†»~,,
,,,~»†*%§@                                          @§%*†»~,,,
,,,,~»†*%§                                          §%*†»~,,,,
,,,,,~»†*%                                          %*†»~,,,,,