,,,,,,-*£¶                                          ¶£*-,,,,,,
,^-*$£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$££@¶@                                          @¶@££$*-^,
,^-*$£@@@@                                          @@@@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@@##                                          ##@@£$*-^,
,,,^-$$@@@  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  @@@$$-^,,,
,^-*$£@¶@# ALONG THE  RUSTY  CARGO CARS  LIKE  SOME #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$$££¶¶ SPECIES  OF  FERROPHAGE INSECT.  UP  AND ¶¶££$$*-^,
,^-**$££¶@ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING  BOLTS,  OILING @¶££$**-^,
,,,,--$@¶@     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     @¶@$--,,,,
,^-*$£@¶@#                CIGARETTES.               #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@@##                                          ##@@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@¶@#      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@¶@# WE WERE GOING  SOUTH THROUGH  FINLAND AT #@¶@£$*-^,
,,,^****$@ THE   TIME,  SLEEPING   CLOSE   TO   THE @$****^,,,
,^-*$£@¶@@  FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS.  @@¶@£$*-^,
,,,,^-*$£@   TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW,  @£$*-^,,,,
,^-*$£@¶@# MOST   OF  WHICH  WERE   MECHANICS,   OR #@¶@£$*-^,
,,,,,^*£@@ 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?"                 @¶£*-^^,,,
,,,,^*$£¶¶                                          ¶¶£$*^,,,,
,^-*$£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@@¶@                                          @¶@@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£$*-^,
,^-*$£@¶@#                                          #@¶@£$*-^,