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