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