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