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