¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:= =:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: 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?" ==:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:= =:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨