##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ along the rusty cargo cars like some ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ species of ferrophage insect. up and ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ down the train, checking bolts, oiling ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ joints, drinking coffee, smoking ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ cigarettes. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ we were going south through finland at ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ the time, sleeping close to the ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ furnace, watching the aurora borealis. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ twenty-something members of the crew, ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ most of which were mechanics, or ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ loaders, with large and hairy hands ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ that could swallow my entire body. and ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ me featuring as the cute and asocial ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ radio operator, stationed in the back ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ of the kilometer-long train, which ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ served me good and well. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ and then one night, there's a missile. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ we would routinely pick up new cars at ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ the tail, and drop some off, as a way ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ of earning some extra money. but a ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ missile, and appearing silently in the ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ middle of the night at that? not ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ entirely... comfortable. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ i call it in on the walkie-talkie. not ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ many others awake, they know nothing ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ about it, and appear concerned as well. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ when i fall awake in the afternoon, ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ karl is there, smiling at me. "hey ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ boy," he says, "wanna help me make a ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ call?" ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ after he's brought me coffee, i dial ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ the frequency from his notebook, and ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ after a while there's a reply in ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ pan-slavic. karl laughs and makes a ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ reply in the same language. even though ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ we both have headphones i can't follow ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ at all, but i hear the word "missile" a ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ few times. ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ i'm almost snoozing again at the time ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ karl puts down the headphones and slaps ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ me on my back. "allright boy. i just ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ sold a missile." he practically beams ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ detour?" ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##
#£§@$:«.¨¨ ¨¨.«:$@§£#
##£§@$:«.¨ ¨.«:$@§£##