¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^
=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=
:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:
$:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨ i'm almost snoozing again at the time ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$
$$:=^¨¨¨¨¨ karl puts down the headphones and slaps ¨¨¨¨¨^=:$$
&$$:=^¨¨¨¨ me on my back. "allright boy. i just ¨¨¨¨^=:$$&
£&$$:=^¨¨¨ sold a missile." he practically beams ¨¨¨^=:$$&£
#£&$$:=^¨¨ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ¨¨^=:$$&£#
##£&$$:=^¨ detour?" ¨^=:$$&£##
#£&$$:=^¨¨ ¨¨^=:$$&£#
£&$$:=^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^=:$$&£
&$$:=^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^=:$$&
$$:=^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^=:$$
$:=^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^=:$