.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.
.^^~~^§§§#                                          #§§§^~~^^.
.....^^^§§                                          §§^^^.....
.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.
....~~§£§#                                          #§£§~~....
.^~^§£§###  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?"                 ###@£§^~^.
.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.
.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.
.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.
.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.
.^~^§£§@##                                          ##@§£§^~^.