##&%§†»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»†§%&##
#&%§†»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»†§%&#
&%§†»,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,»†§%&
#&%§†»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»†§%&#
##&%§†»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»†§%&##
###&%§†»,¨  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?"                 ¨,»†§%&###
##&%§†»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»†§%&##
#&%§†»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»†§%&#
&%§†»,¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨,»†§%&
#&%§†»,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,»†§%&#
##&%§†»,¨¨                                          ¨¨,»†§%&##