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