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