#£$$^-,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,-^$$£#
##£$$^-,¨¨ ¨¨,-^$$£##
###£$$^-,¨ ¨,-^$$£###
##£$$^-,¨¨ ¨¨,-^$$£##
#£$$^-,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,-^$$£#
£$$^-,¨¨¨¨ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¨¨¨¨,-^$$£
$$^-,¨¨¨¨¨ along the rusty cargo cars like some ¨¨¨¨¨,-^$$
$^-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ species of ferrophage insect. up and ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-^$
^-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-
^-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-^
$^-,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,-^$
$$^-,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,-^$$