¨¨¨¨.=/§¤& &¤§/=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.=/§¤ ¤§/=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/§ §/=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.=/ /=.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.= =.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨. 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?" ¤§/=.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.=/§¤& &¤§/=.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.=/§¤&¶ ¶&¤§/=.¨¨¨
¨¨.=/§¤&¶# #¶&¤§/=.¨¨
¨.=/§¤&¶## ##¶&¤§/=.¨
¨¨.=/§¤&¶# #¶&¤§/=.¨¨