#@¶@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@¶@#
@@¶@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@¶@@
@*$«......                                          ......«$*@
@$$$**««..                                          ..««**$$$@
#@¶@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@¶@#
¶@*$$«....  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ....«$$*@¶
@@¶@*$*«.. ALONG  THE RUSTY  CARGO  CARS  LIKE SOME ..«*$*@¶@@
@$$««..... SPECIES OF  FERROPHAGE  INSECT.  UP  AND .....««$$@
¶@@$*..... DOWN THE  TRAIN,  CHECKING BOLTS, OILING .....*$@@¶
#@¶@*$*«..     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ..«*$*@¶@#
#@¶@*$*«..                CIGARETTES.               ..«*$*@¶@#
@@@@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@@@@
##@¶@**«..      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      ..«**@¶@##
@$$*......                                          ......*$$@
@@@@*$*«.. WE  WERE  GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ..«*$*@@@@
#@¶@*$*«.. THE   TIME,   SLEEPING  CLOSE   TO   THE ..«*$*@¶@#
¶@**......  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?"                 ..«*****¶¶
#@¶@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@¶@#
@@¶@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@¶@@
@@@@*$*«..                                          ..«*$*@@@@
@$«.......                                          .......«$@
@$***«....                                          ....«***$@