¨-»;$§§¶## ##¶§§$;»-¨
¨-»;$§§¶## ##¶§§$;»-¨
¨¨¨¨-»;§§¶ ¶§§;»-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-»$§§¶ ¶§§$»-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-»$$§¶¶ ¶¶§$$»-¨¨¨
¨¨¨---;§§§ 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?" #¶§;»¨¨¨¨¨
¨-»;$§§¶## ##¶§§$;»-¨
¨-»;$§§¶## ##¶§§$;»-¨
¨--»»;$$§§ §§$$;»»--¨
¨-»;$§§§§¶ ¶§§§§$;»-¨
¨-»;$§§¶## ##¶§§$;»-¨