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