##¶¤&%†=,¨ ¨,=†%&¤¶##
##¶¤&%†=,¨ ¨,=†%&¤¶##
#¤%%†,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,†%%¤#
##¶¤&%†=,¨ ¨,=†%&¤¶##
##¶¤&%†=,¨ ¨,=†%&¤¶##
¤&&†,¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨,=†%&¤¶¶#
#¤¤%====,¨ ¨,====%¤¤#
#¤¤%††==,¨ ¨,==††%¤¤#
¤%†=¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨=†%¤
¤%%†,,,,,¨ ¨,,,,,†%%¤
¶¤&†,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,†&¤¶