&&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨ &&&¨¨¨¨&&¨
¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨¨&¨&&
¨&&&¨&¨¨&& ¨&&¨¨&&&¨&
&¨¨&&&¨&¨& &¨&¨&¨¨&&&
&¨&¨¨&&&&& &&&&&¨&¨¨¨
&&&¨&¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨&&¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨ ¨&¨&¨¨&&¨&
¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨& &&&&¨&¨&&&
¨¨¨&&¨&&&& ¨¨¨&&&&¨¨&
¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨& ¨¨&¨¨¨&¨&&
¨&&&¨&¨¨&& ¨&&¨¨&&&¨&