¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§¨¨¨§§§§§§                                          ¨¨¨§§§§§§§
¨¨§¨¨§§§§§                                          ¨§¨¨§§§§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§                                          ¨¨¨¨¨§§§§¨
§§§§§¨¨§§§                                          §§§§¨¨§§¨¨
¨§§§¨¨¨¨§§  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?"                 ¨§§§§§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨¨§§§§§¨¨¨
§§§§¨¨§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨§§§¨¨§§
§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§¨¨§¨¨¨¨§
§§¨¨§§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨§                                          §§§§§¨¨¨¨¨