¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. .¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" %;-.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.-;%& &%;-.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.-;%&# #&%;-.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.-;%&#@ @#&%;-.¨¨¨
¨¨.-;%&#@# #@#&%;-.¨¨
¨.-;%&#@## ##@#&%;-.¨