¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,-* *-,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,-*= =*-,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-*=@ @=*-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-*=@§ §@=*-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-*=@§@ @§@=*-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-*=@§@# 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?" §@=*-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-*=@§@ @§@=*-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-*=@§@# #@§@=*-,¨¨
¨,-*=@§@## ##@§@=*-,¨
¨¨,-*=@§@# #@§@=*-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-*=@§@ @§@=*-,¨¨¨