¨.~:§*####                                          ####*§:~.¨
¨¨.~:§*###                                          ###*§:~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~:§*##                                          ##*§:~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~:§*#                                          #*§:~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~:§*                                          *§:~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~:§*#  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?"                 #*§:~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~:§*                                          *§:~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~:§*#                                          #*§:~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~:§*##                                          ##*§:~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~:§*###                                          ###*§:~.¨¨
¨.~:§*####                                          ####*§:~.¨