¨¨¨¨,«*^§§ §§^*«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«*^§ §^*«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*^§§ §§^*«,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,«*^§§# #§§^*«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«*^§§#@ @#§§^*«,¨¨
¨,«*^§§#@# 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?" #§§^*«,¨¨¨
¨¨,«*^§§#@ @#§§^*«,¨¨
¨,«*^§§#@# #@#§§^*«,¨
¨¨,«*^§§#@ @#§§^*«,¨¨
¨¨¨,«*^§§# #§§^*«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«*^§§ §§^*«,¨¨¨¨