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