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