..§§..§§..                                          ..§..§.§..
..§§§.§§§.                                          ...§....§.
..§.§.§.§§                                          ....§....§
§.......§§                                          .....§....
.§......§.                                          ......§...
..§.......  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?"                 ....§.....
..§.§§..§.                                          §....§....
....§§§..§                                          .§....§...
....§.§§..                                          ..§....§..
......§§§.                                          ...§....§.
......§.§§                                          ....§....§