¨~=;%*§@##                                          ##@§*%;=~¨
¨~===%%%*@                                          @*%%%===~¨
¨~=;%*@###                                          ###@*%;=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~;;*§                                          §*;;~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=;%*@###                                          ###@*%;=~¨
¨~=;%*§@##  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?"                 ##@§*%;=~¨
¨~=;%***§@                                          @§***%;=~¨
¨~=;%*§@##                                          ##@§*%;=~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%*@                                          @*%=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~=;%*§@@#                                          #@@§*%;=~¨
¨~=;%*§@@@                                          @@@§*%;=~¨