¨¨¨¨.=†^¤& &¤^†=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=†^¤ ¤^†=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=†^¤& &¤^†=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.=†^¤&@ @&¤^†=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=†^¤&@# #@&¤^†=.¨¨
¨.=†^¤&@## 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?" @&¤^†=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=†^¤&@# #@&¤^†=.¨¨
¨.=†^¤&@## ##@&¤^†=.¨
¨¨.=†^¤&@# #@&¤^†=.¨¨
¨¨¨.=†^¤&@ @&¤^†=.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=†^¤& &¤^†=.¨¨¨¨