#¨¨###¨¨#¨ ¨#####¨¨¨#
#¨#¨¨#¨### #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
###¨###¨¨# #¨¨¨##¨###
¨¨##¨¨#¨#¨ #¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨#¨#¨##### #¨###¨#¨¨¨
#####¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ##¨#¨#¨#¨¨
#¨##¨#¨##¨ ¨#######¨¨
##¨####¨## #¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
¨##¨¨¨##¨# #¨¨¨¨¨###¨
#¨#¨¨#¨### #¨¨¨¨#¨¨#¨
###¨###¨¨# #¨¨¨##¨###