##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##
##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##
##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##
§§-~......                                          ......~-§§
##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##
#@$\~.....  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  .....~\$@#
#@§§$§\-~. 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?"                 .~-\§$§@@#
##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##
##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##
§$\\-.....                                          .....-\\$§
§§§§-.....                                          .....-§§§§
##@§$§\-~.                                          .~-\§$§@##