@@@@@@@@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@¨@¨@
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ @¨¨¨¨@@@@@
@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ @@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ @¨@¨¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@ @@@@¨@¨@¨¨
@@@@¨¨¨¨¨@ 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?" @¨@¨@@¨@¨¨
¨@@¨¨@@¨¨¨ @@@@@¨@@@¨
¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@@¨¨@
@@@@@@@@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@¨@¨@
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ @¨¨¨¨@@@@@
@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ @@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨