,,,,,-===§                                          §===-,,,,,
,:-==&§¶##                                          ##¶§&==-:,
,:-==&§¶¶¶                                          ¶¶¶§&==-:,
,,,,-=&§¶#                                          #¶§&=-,,,,
,:-==&§¶##                                          ##¶§&==-:,
,:-==§¶###  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?"                 ¶§§&=-:,,,
,,,::-=§§§                                          §§§=-::,,,
,:-==&§¶##                                          ##¶§&==-:,
,:-==&§¶##                                          ##¶§&==-:,
,:-==&§¶##                                          ##¶§&==-:,
,:-==&§¶##                                          ##¶§&==-:,