.....¤.... ¤.....¤¤¤.
¤¤¤¤...¤¤¤ ..¤¤¤..¤..
.¤¤..¤..¤¤ ¤..¤......
.........¤ .....¤¤¤¤¤
.¤¤¤¤¤¤¤.. .¤¤¤..¤¤¤.
..¤¤¤¤¤... 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?" ..¤¤¤..¤¤.
......¤..¤ ...¤......
¤¤¤¤¤..... ¤¤...¤¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤¤..¤¤¤¤ ...¤..¤¤¤¤
¤¤¤....¤¤¤ ¤¤.....¤¤¤
¤¤..¤¤..¤¤ ¤..¤¤¤..¤¤