,,,,,=†==§                                          §==†=,,,,,
,,,,^^†=§§                                          §§=†^^,,,,
,,,^===@##                                          ##@===^,,,
,^=†=@§###                                          ###§@=†=^,
,^=†=@§§§§                                          §§§§@=†=^,
,^=†=@§###  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?"                 #@††^^^^^,
,^^^^††=@§                                          §@=††^^^^,
,^=†=@§###                                          ###§@=†=^,
,=†=@§####                                          ####§@=†=,
,,,,,^=†=§                                          §=†=^,,,,,
,,,,,^^†@§                                          §@†^^,,,,,