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