¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¶#†=»^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨^»=†#¶@ @¶#†=»^¨¨¨
¨¨^»=†#¶@# #@¶#†=»^¨¨
¨^»=†#¶@## ##@¶#†=»^¨
¨¨^»=†#¶@# #@¶#†=»^¨¨
¨¨¨^»=†#¶@ @¶#†=»^¨¨¨