¨.=:$@§@##                                          ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@@#                                          #@@§@$:=.¨
¨.====:$§§                                          §§$:====.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=:$§                                          §$:=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=:$@§###                                          ###§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@##  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@## ALONG  THE  RUSTY CARGO  CARS LIKE  SOME ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@## SPECIES  OF  FERROPHAGE INSECT.  UP  AND ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@## DOWN THE TRAIN,  CHECKING BOLTS,  OILING ##@§@$:=.¨
¨¨¨¨==$$@@     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     @@$$==¨¨¨¨
¨.:$@§@###               CIGARETTES.                ###@§@$:.¨
¨.=:$@§@##                                          ##@§@$:=.¨
¨¨¨¨.=:@@@      @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@      @@@:=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=$§§#                                          #§§$=¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=:$@§§@# WE WERE  GOING SOUTH  THROUGH FINLAND AT #@§§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@@# THE   TIME,   SLEEPING   CLOSE  TO   THE #@@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@##  FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS.  ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@##   TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW,  ##@§@$:=.¨
¨¨¨¨¨=$§§# MOST   OF  WHICH   WERE  MECHANICS,   OR #§§$=¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=:$@§@## LOADERS,  WITH  LARGE  AND  HAIRY  HANDS ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@## THAT  COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE  BODY. AND ##@§@$:=.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.:@@ 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 @@@:..¨¨¨¨
¨.=:$@§### SOLD  A MISSILE."  HE PRACTICALLY  BEAMS ###§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@§@## AT ME, TEETH  FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.==:$@@@#                 DETOUR?"                 #@@@$:==.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=:@@                                          @@:=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=:$@§@##                                          ##@§@$:=.¨
¨¨¨¨¨.==$§                                          §$==.¨¨¨¨¨
¨.=:$@§@##                                          ##@§@$:=.¨
¨.=:$@@###                                          ###@@$:=.¨