,,,^«/%*#£                                          £#*%/«^,,,
,,,,^«/%*#                                          #*%/«^,,,,
,,,,,^«/%*                                          *%/«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«/%                                          %/«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«/%*                                          *%/«^,,,,,
,,,,^«/%*#  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?"                 @£#*%/«^,,
,,,^«/%*#£                                          £#*%/«^,,,
,,,,^«/%*#                                          #*%/«^,,,,
,,,,,^«/%*                                          *%/«^,,,,,
,,,,,,^«/%                                          %/«^,,,,,,
,,,,,^«/%*                                          *%/«^,,,,,