¨¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨ #¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#
#¨¨¨¨¨¨### ##¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨#¨¨¨¨¨#¨# ¨##¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨# ¨###¨¨#¨¨#
#¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨# ¨#¨##¨¨#¨¨
¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨# 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?" #¨¨#¨¨#¨¨¨
¨¨¨###¨¨#¨ ¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨ #¨¨#¨¨#¨¨#
#¨¨¨¨#¨##¨ ##¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨#¨¨¨¨¨### ¨##¨¨#¨¨#¨