,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,