##@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@##
##@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@##
##@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@##
#@@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@@#
##@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@##
@@&&$==~,¨  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ¨,~==$&&@@
###@&==~,¨ 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?"                 ¨¨¨¨,,~==&
@&=~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~=&@
@&===~~~,¨                                          ¨,~~~===&@
&&&&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&&&&
#@@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@@#
##@&$==~,¨                                          ¨,~==$&@##