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