,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,&,
&&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&&,,,
,&&&&&&&&&                                          &&&&&&,,&,
,,&&&&&&&,                                          &&&&&,,,,,
&,,&&&&&,,                                          &&&&,,&&&&
,,,,&&&,,,  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?"                 ,,,,&&,,,,
,&&,,&&&&&                                          ,&&,,,,&&,
,,,,,,&&&,                                          ,,,,&&,,,,
&&&&&,,&,,                                          ,&&,,,,&&&
&&&&,,,,,&                                          ,,,,&&,,&&
&&&,,&&&,,                                          &&&,,,,,,&