@@¨@¨¨@¨@¨ @¨@@¨¨@¨@@
¨@@@¨@@@@¨ @@¨@¨@@@¨¨
@¨¨@@¨¨¨@@ ¨@@@@¨¨@¨¨
@¨@¨@¨¨@¨¨ @¨¨¨@¨@@¨@
@@@@@¨@@¨¨ @¨¨@@@¨@@¨
¨¨¨¨@@¨@¨¨ 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?" @¨@@¨@@¨¨¨
@@¨¨¨@¨@@@ @@¨@@¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@@@¨¨@ ¨@@¨@@@¨¨@
@@¨@¨¨@¨@¨ @¨@@¨¨@¨@@
¨@@@¨@@@@¨ @@¨@¨@@@¨¨
@¨¨@@¨¨¨@@ ¨@@@@¨¨@¨¨