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