£$$*-.....                                          .....-*$$£
#@££$*†-..                                          ..-†*$££@#
@£$††.....                                          .....††$£@
#@££$*†-..                                          ..-†*$££@#
#@££$*†-..                                          ..-†*$££@#
£$$$*--...  ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING  ...--*$$$£
££$†††-... ALONG THE RUSTY  CARGO  CARS  LIKE  SOME ...-†††$££
#@££$*†-.. SPECIES  OF  FERROPHAGE  INSECT. UP  AND ..-†*$££@#
@££**--... 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 ......-*£@
££$$*††-..                FEW TIMES.                ..-††*$$££
#@££$*†-..                                          ..-†*$££@#
£$$$$*†-.. I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN  AT  THE  TIME ..-†*$$$$£
£$†-...... KARL PUTS DOWN THE  HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ......-†$£
@@££$*†-.. ME ON  MY  BACK. "ALLRIGHT  BOY.  I JUST ..-†*$££@@
££$†-..... SOLD A  MISSILE."  HE PRACTICALLY  BEAMS .....-†$££
££*-...... AT  ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ......-*££
£$†††--...                 DETOUR?"                 ...--†††$£
##@££$*-..                                          ..-*$££@##
@@££$*†-..                                          ..-†*$££@@
£$$$$*†-..                                          ..-†*$$$$£
##££$*†-..                                          ..-†*$££##
££*---....                                          ....---*££