¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&¨ ¨&&¨¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨& ¨&&&¨¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨&
¨&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨& 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?" ¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨&¨ &¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨ &&¨¨¨&¨&&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨&&¨¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨&&&¨¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨&