¨-~*^§&###                                          ###&§^*~-¨
¨¨-~*^§&##                                          ##&§^*~-¨¨
¨-~*^§&###                                          ###&§^*~-¨
¨¨-~*^§&##                                          ##&§^*~-¨¨
¨-~*^§&###                                          ###&§^*~-¨
¨¨-~*^§&##  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?"                 ##&§^*~-¨¨
¨-~*^§&###                                          ###&§^*~-¨
¨¨-~*^§&##                                          ##&§^*~-¨¨
¨-~*^§&###                                          ###&§^*~-¨
¨¨-~*^§&##                                          ##&§^*~-¨¨
¨-~*^§&###                                          ###&§^*~-¨