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