&¨¨&&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨&¨&¨¨&
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨¨&&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ 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?" &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&¨&¨&¨&¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨