:«/^%§¶###                                          ###¶§%^/«:
......«^§§                                          §§^«......
.:«/^%§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§%^/«:.
.......«^§                                          §^«.......
.:«/^%§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§%^/«:.
.:«/^%§¶##  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?"                 ##¶§%^/«:.
.:«/^%§¶##                                          ##¶§%^/«:.
.:«/^%§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§%^/«:.
.:«/^%§¶##                                          ##¶§%^/«:.
......:/^§                                          §^/:......
.:«/^%§¶##                                          ##¶§%^/«:.