¨¨¨¨,-=*$& &$*=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-=*$&¶ ¶&$*=-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶# #¶&$*=-,¨¨
¨,-=*$&¶## ##¶&$*=-,¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶# #¶&$*=-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-=*$&¶ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¶&$*=-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=*$& along the rusty cargo cars like some &$*=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-=*$ 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?" $*=-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=*$& &$*=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-=*$&¶ ¶&$*=-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶# #¶&$*=-,¨¨
¨,-=*$&¶## ##¶&$*=-,¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶# #¶&$*=-,¨¨