..§§.§....                                          ....§.§§.§
§.§.§§§...                                          ....§§§.§§
.§§§§..§..                                          ....§..§§.
.§...§.§§.                                          ....§§.§.§
§§§..§§§.§                                          §...§.§§§§
...§.§..§§  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?"                 .§.§§.§§.§
§§...§.§.§                                          §§§§.§§.§§
..§..§§§§§                                          ....§§.§§.
..§§.§....                                          ....§.§§.§
§.§.§§§...                                          ....§§§.§§
.§§§§..§..                                          ....§..§§.