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