=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=
~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~