####¨#¨##¨ ¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨¨¨¨####¨# ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨## ##¨#¨¨¨¨¨#
¨#¨¨##¨¨#¨ #¨###¨¨¨¨#
###¨#¨#¨## ¨##¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨¨######¨ 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?" ¨#¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨# ¨##¨¨##¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨# ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨# #¨#######¨
¨¨¨¨####¨# ¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨## ##¨#¨¨¨¨¨#