¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»                                          ».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.                                          .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»                                          ».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨