.&&&&.&.&& .&.&.&.&.&
..&&&.&..& &&.&.&.&.&
.&.&&.&.&& .&.&.&.&.&
.&..&.&..& &&.&.&.&.&
.&.&&.&.&& .&.&.&.&.&
.&..&.&..& 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?" &&.&.&.&.&
.&.&&.&.&& .&.&.&.&.&
.&..&.&..& &&.&.&.&.&
.&.&&.&.&& .&.&.&.&.&
.&..&.&..& &&.&.&.&.&
.&.&&.&.&& .&.&.&.&.&