,,,,,,,,,§                                          ,§,,§§§,,§
,,,,,,,,§,                                          §§,§,,§,§§
,,,,,,,§§,                                          ,§§§,§§§,§
,,,,,,§,§§                                          §,,§§,,§§§
,,,,,§§§,§                                          §,§,§,§,,§
,,,,§,,§§,  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?"                 §,§,,§§§,§
§,§,§,§,§,                                          §§§,§,,§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          ,,§§§,§,,,
,,,,,,,,,§                                          ,§,,§§§,,§
,,,,,,,,§,                                          §§,§,,§,§§
,,,,,,,§§,                                          ,§§§,§§§,§