--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
--¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨--