###¶&*=»-¨ ¨-»=*&¶###
##¶&*=»-¨¨ ¨¨-»=*&¶##
###¶&*=»-¨ ¨-»=*&¶###
##¶&*=»-¨¨ ¨¨-»=*&¶##
###¶&*=»-¨ ¨-»=*&¶###
##¶&*=»-¨¨ 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?" ¨¨-»=*&¶##
###¶&*=»-¨ ¨-»=*&¶###
##¶&*=»-¨¨ ¨¨-»=*&¶##
###¶&*=»-¨ ¨-»=*&¶###
##¶&*=»-¨¨ ¨¨-»=*&¶##
###¶&*=»-¨ ¨-»=*&¶###