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