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