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