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