,~-=%$&&¶#                                          #¶&&$%=-~,
,,,~-==$$&                                          &$$==-~,,,
,~=%$&¶###                                          ###¶&$%=~,
,,,,,-=$&¶                                          ¶&$=-,,,,,
,,,,,,-=%&                                          &%=-,,,,,,
,~-=%%$$&#  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  #&$$%%=-~,
,,,,,--%$& ALONG  THE RUSTY  CARGO  CARS LIKE  SOME &$%--,,,,,
,~-=%$&¶## SPECIES OF  FERROPHAGE  INSECT.  UP  AND ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## DOWN THE  TRAIN,  CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ##¶&$%=-~,
,,,,~-=%$¶     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ¶$%=-~,,,,
,,,,---%$&                CIGARETTES.               &$%---,,,,
,~-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=$&¶### WE WERE GOING SOUTH  THROUGH FINLAND  AT ###¶&$=-~,
,,~----%$¶ THE  TIME,   SLEEPING   CLOSE   TO   THE ¶$%----~,,
,,,,~==$¶#  FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS.  #¶$==~,,,,
,~-=%%$&¶¶   TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW,  ¶¶&$%%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## MOST  OF   WHICH  WERE   MECHANICS,   OR ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$$&&# LOADERS,  WITH  LARGE  AND  HAIRY  HANDS #&&$$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## THAT COULD SWALLOW MY  ENTIRE BODY.  AND ##¶&$%=-~,
,~--===$&# ME FEATURING  AS THE  CUTE  AND  ASOCIAL #&$===--~,
,~-=%$&¶## RADIO OPERATOR,  STATIONED  IN THE  BACK ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##    OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH    ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶¶#         SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL.         #¶¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&&¶¶                                          ¶¶&&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## AND  THEN ONE  NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ##¶&$%=-~,
,,,,,-%$&& WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP  NEW CARS  AT &&$%-,,,,,
,,,--==$&¶ THE TAIL,  AND DROP SOME  OFF,  AS A WAY ¶&$==--,,,
,~-=%$¶### OF  EARNING  SOME  EXTRA  MONEY.  BUT  A ###¶$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶¶¶ MISSILE, AND APPEARING  SILENTLY IN  THE ¶¶¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## MIDDLE  OF  THE   NIGHT  AT  THAT?   NOT ##¶&$%=-~,
,~---%%%$&         ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE.         &$%%%---~,
,,,,--=$&¶                                          ¶&$=--,,,,
,~-=%$&### I CALL IT IN  ON THE  WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ###&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## MANY  OTHERS  AWAKE,  THEY KNOW  NOTHING ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## ABOUT  IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-~,
,,,,,,-=$& WHEN I  FALL  AWAKE  IN  THE  AFTERNOON, &$=-,,,,,,
,,,,~=%$&# KARL  IS  THERE,  SMILING  AT  ME.  "HEY #&$%=~,,,,
,~-=%$&¶## BOY," HE  SAYS, "WANNA HELP  ME  MAKE  A ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##                  CALL?"                  ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶## AFTER HE'S  BROUGHT ME  COFFEE,  I  DIAL ##¶&$%=-~,
,~-%$&¶### THE  FREQUENCY  FROM  HIS  NOTEBOOK, AND ###¶&$%-~,
,~-=%$&¶## AFTER  A  WHILE  THERE'S   A  REPLY   IN ##¶&$%=-~,
,,,,-==%&# 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?"                 #&&%%%=-~,
,~-=%$&¶##                                          ##¶&$%=-~,
,~---%%$¶#                                          #¶$%%---~,
,,,,~--%&#                                          #&%--~,,,,
,~-=%$&&&¶                                          ¶&&&$%=-~,
,~-=%$&###                                          ###&$%=-~,