¨¨¨¨^^†@§#                                          #§@†^^¨¨¨¨
¨^=^†@§###                                          ###§@†^=^¨
¨^=^†@§###                                          ###§@†^=^¨
¨^^^^^=†§§                                          §§†=^^^^^¨
¨¨^^^^^†@#                                          #@†^^^^^¨¨
¨^=^†@§###  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?"                 ###§@†^=^¨
^=^†@§####                                          ####§@†^=^
¨^=^†††§##                                          ##§†††^=^¨
¨^=^†@§###                                          ###§@†^=^¨
¨^=^^^^†@#                                          #@†^^^^=^¨
¨^=^†@§###                                          ###§@†^=^¨