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