§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ along the rusty cargo cars like some ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ species of ferrophage insect. up and ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ down the train, checking bolts, oiling ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ joints, drinking coffee, smoking ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ cigarettes. ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ ############################## ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ we were going south through finland at ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ the time, sleeping close to the ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ furnace, watching the aurora borealis. ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ twenty-something members of the crew, ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ most of which were mechanics, or ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ loaders, with large and hairy hands ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ that could swallow my entire body. and ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ me featuring as the cute and asocial ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ radio operator, stationed in the back ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ of the kilometer-long train, which ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ served me good and well. ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ and then one night, there's a missile. ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ we would routinely pick up new cars at ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ the tail, and drop some off, as a way ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ of earning some extra money. but a ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ missile, and appearing silently in the ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ middle of the night at that? not ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ entirely... comfortable. ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ i call it in on the walkie-talkie. not ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ many others awake, they know nothing ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ about it, and appear concerned as well. ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ ############################## ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ when i fall awake in the afternoon, ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ karl is there, smiling at me. "hey ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ boy," he says, "wanna help me make a ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ call?" ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ after he's brought me coffee, i dial ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ the frequency from his notebook, and ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ after a while there's a reply in ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ pan-slavic. karl laughs and makes a ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ reply in the same language. even though ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ we both have headphones i can't follow ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ at all, but i hear the word "missile" a ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ few times. ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ i'm almost snoozing again at the time ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ karl puts down the headphones and slaps ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ me on my back. "allright boy. i just ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ sold a missile." he practically beams ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
##§$%*~,¨¨ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ¨¨,~*%$§##
###§$%*~,¨ detour?" ¨,~*%$§###
##§$%*~,¨¨ ¨¨,~*%$§##
#§$%*~,¨¨¨ ¨¨¨,~*%$§#
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§
$%*~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~*%$
§$%*~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~*%$§