@@@@¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨¨
¨@@@¨¨@¨@@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
¨¨@@¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨¨@¨@@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨¨@¨@@ 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?" @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨¨@¨@@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨¨@¨@@ @¨@@¨@¨@¨@
¨@¨@¨@@¨¨@ @¨¨@¨@¨@¨@