......,«*=                                          =*«,......
.....,«*=&                                          &=*«,.....
....,«*=&#                                          #&=*«,....
...,«*=&#£                                          £#&=*«,...
..,«*=&#£#                                          #£#&=*«,..
.,«*=&#£##  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?"                 *«,.......
......,«*=                                          =*«,......
.....,«*=&                                          &=*«,.....
....,«*=&#                                          #&=*«,....
...,«*=&#£                                          £#&=*«,...
..,«*=&#£#                                          #£#&=*«,..