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