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