¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~ ~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~ ~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~= 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?" &$=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=$&£ £&$=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~=$&£¶ ¶£&$=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=$&£¶# #¶£&$=~~¨¨
¨~~=$&£¶## ##¶£&$=~~¨
¨¨~~=$&£¶# #¶£&$=~~¨¨