¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
&&&¨¨¨¨¨¨& &&&&&&&&&&
&&¨¨&&&&¨¨ &&&&&&&&&&
&¨¨¨¨&&¨¨& ¨&&&&&&&&&
¨¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨&&&&&&&&
¨¨¨¨¨&&&&& 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?" &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&