#&&@@$†=~,                                          ,~=†$@@&&#
&$=,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,=$&
#@@$†~,,,,                                          ,,,,~†$@@#
###&@$†=~,                                          ,~=†$@&###
##@$=~~,,,                                          ,,,~~=$@##
###&@$†=~,  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ,~=†$@&###
&@†==~~~~, 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 ,,,,,~~†@#
#&&&@$†=~, WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES  I CAN'T  FOLLOW ,~=†$@&&&#
###&@$†=~, AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE"  A ,~=†$@&###
##&@@$†=~,                FEW TIMES.                ,~=†$@@&##
##@†=~~~~,                                          ,~~~~=†@##
##&@$†~,,, I'M ALMOST SNOOZING  AGAIN  AT THE  TIME ,,,~†$@&##
###&@$†=~, KARL PUTS  DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ,~=†$@&###
###&@$†=~, ME ON MY  BACK.  "ALLRIGHT  BOY.  I JUST ,~=†$@&###
&$$$==,,,, SOLD  A MISSILE."  HE PRACTICALLY  BEAMS ,,,,==$$$&
###&@$†=~, AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA  MAKE A ,~=†$@&###
&@$$$$†=~,                 DETOUR?"                 ,~=†$$$$@&
###&@$†=~,                                          ,~=†$@&###
###&@$†=~,                                          ,~=†$@&###
###&@$†=~,                                          ,~=†$@&###
##@†~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~†@##
###&@$†=~,                                          ,~=†$@&###