.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### ALONG THE  RUSTY CARGO  CARS  LIKE  SOME ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## SPECIES  OF  FERROPHAGE  INSECT. UP  AND ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING  BOLTS,  OILING ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###               CIGARETTES.                ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### WE  WERE GOING SOUTH  THROUGH FINLAND AT ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## THE   TIME,   SLEEPING  CLOSE   TO   THE ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###  FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS.  ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##  TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW,   ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### MOST  OF   WHICH   WERE  MECHANICS,   OR ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## LOADERS,  WITH  LARGE  AND  HAIRY  HANDS ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### THAT COULD SWALLOW  MY  ENTIRE BODY. AND ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## ME  FEATURING AS  THE  CUTE  AND ASOCIAL ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### RADIO  OPERATOR,  STATIONED IN  THE BACK ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##    OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH    ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###         SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL.         ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### AND  THEN ONE  NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## WE WOULD  ROUTINELY  PICK UP NEW CARS AT ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### THE TAIL,  AND DROP  SOME OFF, AS  A WAY ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## OF  EARNING  SOME  EXTRA  MONEY.  BUT  A ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY  IN  THE ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## MIDDLE   OF  THE  NIGHT  AT   THAT?  NOT ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###         ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE.         ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### I CALL  IT  IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## MANY  OTHERS  AWAKE, THEY  KNOW  NOTHING ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS  WELL. ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### WHEN I  FALL  AWAKE  IN  THE  AFTERNOON, ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## KARL  IS  THERE,  SMILING  AT  ME.  "HEY ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### BOY,"  HE SAYS, "WANNA  HELP  ME MAKE  A ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                  CALL?"                  ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## AFTER HE'S  BROUGHT ME  COFFEE,  I  DIAL ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### THE FREQUENCY  FROM  HIS  NOTEBOOK,  AND ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## AFTER   A  WHILE  THERE'S   A  REPLY  IN ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### PAN-SLAVIC.  KARL  LAUGHS  AND  MAKES  A ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## REPLY  IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### WE BOTH  HAVE HEADPHONES I  CAN'T FOLLOW ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## AT ALL, BUT I  HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                FEW TIMES.                ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### I'M  ALMOST SNOOZING  AGAIN AT THE  TIME ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## KARL PUTS DOWN THE  HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### ME  ON MY  BACK. "ALLRIGHT  BOY.  I JUST ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@## SOLD  A  MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY  BEAMS ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@### AT  ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                 DETOUR?"                 ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.
..:~:^$@##                                          ##@$^:~:..
.:~:^$@###                                          ###@$^:~:.