¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~-\ \-~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~-\* *\-~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~-\** **\-~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~-\**& &**\-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-\**&@ @&**\-~¨¨¨
¨¨~-\**&@# 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?" &**\-~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~-\**&@ @&**\-~¨¨¨
¨¨~-\**&@# #@&**\-~¨¨
¨~-\**&@## ##@&**\-~¨
¨¨~-\**&@# #@&**\-~¨¨
¨¨¨~-\**&@ @&**\-~¨¨¨