§§§§§¨¨§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§§§§§§§¨
¨¨§¨¨§§§¨¨                                          §§§§§§§§¨¨
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§                                          ¨§§§§§§¨¨§
¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨§§§§¨¨¨¨
§¨¨§¨¨§§§§  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?"                 §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§