,,,,,,-$$@                                          @$$-,,,,,,
,,-†$§@¶##                                          ##¶@§$†-,,
,,-†$§§@¶#                                          #¶@§§$†-,,
,,-†$§¶###                                          ###¶§$†-,,
,,,,,-$$@@                                          @@$$-,,,,,
,,-†$§@¶##  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ##¶@§$†-,,
,,-†$§@¶## ALONG THE  RUSTY  CARGO  CARS LIKE  SOME ##¶@§$†-,,
,,,,,-$@¶¶ SPECIES  OF FERROPHAGE  INSECT.  UP  AND ¶¶@$-,,,,,
,,,,,,-$@¶ DOWN THE  TRAIN,  CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ¶@$-,,,,,,
,,-†$§@¶##     JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING     ##¶@§$†-,,
,,-†††††§@               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 @§†,,,,,,,
,,-†$§@¶## AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA  MAKE A ##¶@§$†-,,
,,,,,,-$§@                 DETOUR?"                 @§$-,,,,,,
,,-†$§@###                                          ###@§$†-,,
,,,,,-$§@@                                          @@§$-,,,,,
,,-†$§@¶¶#                                          #¶¶@§$†-,,
,,-†$§@¶##                                          ##¶@§$†-,,
,,-$§@¶###                                          ###¶@§$-,,