¨¨¨,~†%¤## ##¤%†~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†%¤# #¤%†~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~†%¤ ¤%†~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†% %†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~†%¤ ¤%†~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†%¤# 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?" ###¤%†~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~†%¤## ##¤%†~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~†%¤# #¤%†~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~†%¤ ¤%†~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~†% %†~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~†%¤ ¤%†~,¨¨¨¨¨