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