,,,,,§,§§§                                          §§§,§§,,§§
,,,,§§§,,§                                          ,,§§,§,§,§
,,,§,,§,§,                                          ,§,§§§§§§§
,,§§,§§§§,                                          §§§,,,,,,§
,§,§§,,,§,                                          ,,§,,,,,§§
§§§,§,,§§,  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?"                 §,,§§,§,§§
,,§§,,§,,,                                          §,§,§§§§,,
,§,§,§§,,,                                          §§§§,,,§,,
§§§§§,§,,,                                          ,,,§,,§§,,
,,,,§§§,,§                                          ,,§§,§,§,§
,,,§,,§,§,                                          ,§,§§§§§§§