¨.«;^^@&&& &&&@^^;«.¨
¨.«^@&¶@## ##@¶&@^«.¨
¨.«;^@&¶@@ @@¶&@^;«.¨
¨¨¨.;;;@&& &&@;;;.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨..«^&¶ ¶&^«..¨¨¨¨
¨.«;^@&¶@# 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?" ¶¶&^^«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.;^^@@& &@@^^;.¨¨¨
¨.«;^@&¶@# #@¶&@^;«.¨
¨.«;^@&@## ##@&@^;«.¨
¨.«;^@&¶@# #@¶&@^;«.¨
¨.«;@&¶@## ##@¶&@;«.¨