¨¨¨&¨&&¨&¨ &¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨& ¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨&&& ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨& 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨&¨&& &¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨¨&& ¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨