¨¨.«\§%#@# #@#%§\«.¨¨
¨.«\§%#@## ##@#%§\«.¨
¨¨.«\§%#@# #@#%§\«.¨¨
¨¨¨.«\§%#@ @#%§\«.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«\§%# #%§\«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«\§% 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?" @#%§\«.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«\§%# #%§\«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.«\§% %§\«.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.«\§%# #%§\«.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.«\§%#@ @#%§\«.¨¨¨
¨¨.«\§%#@# #@#%§\«.¨¨