,,:-**†&§§                                          §§&†**-:,,
,:-*†&§@##                                          ##@§&†*-:,
,:*†&§@###                                          ###@§&†*:,
,-*†&§@###                                          ###@§&†*-,
,,,,,:**†§                                          §†**:,,,,,
,,::--†§§#  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?"                 ##@§&†*-:,
,:-†&§@###                                          ###@§&†-:,
,:-*†&&&§#                                          #§&&&†*-:,
,,::-†&&@#                                          #@&&†-::,,
,:-*†&§@##                                          ##@§&†*-:,
,,,,,,,-†§                                          §†-,,,,,,,