#&§§;;;=^¨ ¨^=;;;§§&#
###&¤§;=^¨ ¨^=;§¤&###
###&¤§;=^¨ ¨^=;§¤&###
#¤§=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=§¤#
###&¤§;=^¨ ¨^=;§¤&###
#&¤§§=¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨^=;§¤&###
###&¤§;=^¨ ¨^=;§¤&###
##¤¤;=¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨=;¤¤##
###&¤§;=^¨ ¨^=;§¤&###
###&¤§;=^¨ ¨^=;§¤&###
&§==¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨==§&