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