¨¨¨¨.«\=%&                                          &%=\«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«\=%                                          %=\«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«\=%&                                          &%=\«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.«\=%&#                                          #&%=\«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«\=%&##                                          ##&%=\«.¨¨
¨.«\=%&###  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?"                 #&%=\«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«\=%&##                                          ##&%=\«.¨¨
¨.«\=%&###                                          ###&%=\«.¨
¨¨.«\=%&##                                          ##&%=\«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«\=%&#                                          #&%=\«.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«\=%&                                          &%=\«.¨¨¨¨