&¨¨¨¨¨¨&&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨&&&&¨¨¨¨ &&&&&&¨¨¨¨
&¨¨&&¨¨&&& &&&&&¨¨&&&
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& &&&&¨¨¨¨&&
¨&&&&&&¨¨& &&&¨¨&&¨¨¨
¨¨&&&&¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨&&&&&&&&¨
&&¨¨&¨¨&&& ¨¨&&&&&&¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&& &¨¨&&&&¨¨¨
&&&&&&&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&&¨¨&&
&&&&&&¨¨&& &&&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&&&&&¨¨¨¨& &&¨¨&&&&¨¨