.¤¤..¤..¤¤ ¤¤.¤¤¤..¤¤
.¤¤¤..¤.¤. ¤¤.¤.¤¤.¤¤
.¤.¤¤..... ¤¤...¤¤.¤¤
...¤¤¤.... ¤¤¤..¤¤.¤¤
¤..¤.¤¤... ¤.¤¤.¤¤.¤¤
¤¤...¤¤¤.. 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?" ¤.¤¤...¤¤¤
¤.....¤¤¤. ..¤¤¤..¤.¤
¤¤....¤.¤¤ ..¤.¤¤...¤
.¤¤.....¤¤ ¤...¤¤¤..¤
.¤¤¤....¤. ¤¤..¤.¤¤..
.¤.¤¤..... .¤¤...¤¤¤.