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