«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
\«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«\
*\«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«\*
¤*\«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«\*¤
¤¤*\«,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,«\*¤¤
#¤¤*\«,¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨