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