¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-\ \-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,-\† †\-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-\†£ £†\-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-\†£¤ ¤£†\-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-\†£¤# #¤£†\-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-\†£¤## 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?" †\-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-\ \-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,- -,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,- -,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-\ \-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨