###§$*=~~,                                          ,~~=*$§###
§§$$=~,,,,                                          ,,,,~=$$§§
§$=~,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,~=$§
#$==~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~==$#
###§$*=~~,                                          ,~~=*$§###
###§$*=~~,  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ,~~=*$§###
####§*=~~, 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 ,,,~==*§§#
###§$*=~~, SOLD A MISSILE."  HE  PRACTICALLY  BEAMS ,~~=*$§###
###§$*=~~, AT ME,  TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ,~~=*$§###
#$****=~~,                 DETOUR?"                 ,~~=****$#
###§$*=~~,                                          ,~~=*$§###
####§$*~~,                                          ,~~*$§####
##§§$*=~~,                                          ,~~=*$§§##
§*~~~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~~~*§
###§$*=~~,                                          ,~~=*$§###