=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
^=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=^
$^=-:¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨:-=^$
#$^=-:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:-=^$#
##$^=-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-=^$##
###$^=-:¨¨ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¨¨:-=^$###
####$^=-:¨ along the rusty cargo cars like some ¨:-=^$####
###$^=-:¨¨ species of ferrophage insect. up and ¨¨:-=^$###
##$^=-:¨¨¨ down the train, checking bolts, oiling ¨¨¨:-=^$##
#$^=-:¨¨¨¨ joints, drinking coffee, smoking ¨¨¨¨:-=^$#
$^=-:¨¨¨¨¨ cigarettes. ¨¨¨¨¨:-=^$
^=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=^
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ############################## ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=
-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:-
=-:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨:-=^
$^=-:¨¨¨¨¨ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ¨¨¨¨¨:-=^$
#$^=-:¨¨¨¨ detour?" ¨¨¨¨:-=^$#
##$^=-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-=^$##
###$^=-:¨¨ ¨¨:-=^$###
####$^=-:¨ ¨:-=^$####
###$^=-:¨¨ ¨¨:-=^$###
##$^=-:¨¨¨ ¨¨¨:-=^$##