¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨ ¨¨###¨#¨##
¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨¨¨##¨#¨ ¨#¨¨#¨#¨##
¨¨¨¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#
¨¨¨##¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨¨#¨#¨##
¨¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ 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?" ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#
¨##¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨¨#¨#¨##
¨¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#
¨##¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨¨#¨#¨##
¨¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨##¨#¨¨#
¨##¨#¨#¨#¨ ¨#¨¨#¨#¨##