¨,,,=%*§¶¶                                          ¶¶§*%=,,,¨
¨¨,,=/**¶¶                                          ¶¶**/=,,¨¨
¨¨¨,,=/*§¶                                          ¶§*/=,,¨¨¨
¨,=/%*§¶¶@                                          @¶¶§*%/=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%§§                                          §§%=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=%§¶  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?"                 §§§§*%/=,¨
¨,,==//%*§                                          §*%//==,,¨
¨,=/%*§@##                                          ##@§*%/=,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%§¶                                          ¶§%=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,,//%§§                                          §§%//,,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,/*¶¶                                          ¶¶*/,¨¨¨¨¨