§¨§¨§§¨¨§§ §¨¨§§¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ 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?" §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§§¨¨
§¨§¨¨§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨¨§¨§
§¨§¨§§¨§¨§ §¨§¨§¨§§¨¨