§.§§.§..§§                                          .§..§.§§..
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§..§.§.§.§                                          .§.§§..§.§
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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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