¨¨¨¨¨¨:\§* *§\:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\§ §\:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\ \:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨: :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" :¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\ \:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨:\§ §\:¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:\§* *§\:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨:\§*¤ ¤*§\:¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:\§*¤# #¤*§\:¨¨¨¨