%/~.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~/%
£%/~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~/%£
#£%/~.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.~/%£#
@#£%/~.¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.~/%£#@
#@#£%/~.¨¨ ¨¨.~/%£#@#
##@#£%/~.¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~