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