¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨¨¨¨~\%%¤¤ ¤¤%%\~¨¨¨¨
¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨~-\%¤¶### ###¶¤%\-~¨
¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-%¤ 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?" ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-%¤ ¤%-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨
¨~-\%¤¤¶## ##¶¤¤%\-~¨