#¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨ #¨##¨##¨#¨
##¨¨##¨¨## ¨##¨##¨###
¨¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ##¨##¨##¨¨
¨¨######## ¨¨##¨##¨#¨
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨#¨##¨###
#¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨#¨####¨¨
¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨¨ ¨¨###¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨####¨¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨¨##
#¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨ #¨##¨##¨#¨
##¨¨##¨¨## ¨##¨##¨###
¨¨#¨#¨#¨#¨ ##¨##¨##¨¨