¨¨-=;†£§##                                          ##§£†;=-¨¨
¨-=;†£§###                                          ###§£†;=-¨
¨¨-=;†£§##                                          ##§£†;=-¨¨
¨¨¨-=;†£§#                                          #§£†;=-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=;†£§                                          §£†;=-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-=;†£  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?"                 #§£†;=-¨¨¨
¨¨-=;†£§##                                          ##§£†;=-¨¨
¨-=;†£§###                                          ###§£†;=-¨
¨¨-=;†£§##                                          ##§£†;=-¨¨
¨¨¨-=;†£§#                                          #§£†;=-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=;†£§                                          §£†;=-¨¨¨¨