..,«†*@&¶#                                          #¶&@*†«,..
...,«†*@&¶                                          ¶&@*†«,...
....,«†*@&                                          &@*†«,....
.....,«†*@                                          @*†«,.....
....,«†*@&                                          &@*†«,....
...,«†*@&¶  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?"                 @*†«,.....
....,«†*@&                                          &@*†«,....
...,«†*@&¶                                          ¶&@*†«,...
..,«†*@&¶#                                          #¶&@*†«,..
.,«†*@&¶##                                          ##¶&@*†«,.
..,«†*@&¶#                                          #¶&@*†«,..