§¨§¨¨¨§§¨§ ¨¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§ §¨§¨§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§§¨ ¨§§§§¨§§§§
¨¨§¨§§§¨¨§ §§¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§ ¨¨§¨¨§¨§¨¨
¨¨§¨¨§¨§§§ 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?" ¨§§§§¨§¨§§
¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨¨ §§¨¨¨§§§§¨
¨¨§§§§¨§§¨ ¨¨§¨¨§¨¨¨§
§¨§¨¨¨§§¨§ ¨¨§§¨§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨§¨§§ §¨§¨§§¨§¨§
§§¨¨§¨§§§¨ ¨§§§§¨§§§§