¨¨¨¨~~«*%¤ ¤%*«~~¨¨¨¨
¨~«;*%¤¤@@ @@¤¤%*;«~¨
¨~«;*%¤@## ##@¤%*;«~¨
¨¨¨¨¨«;**¤ ¤**;«¨¨¨¨¨
¨~«;*%¤### ###¤%*;«~¨
¨~«;*%¤@## 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?" ¤*;«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«**¤@ @¤**«~¨¨¨¨
¨~«;*%¤@## ##@¤%*;«~¨
¨~«;*%¤@## ##@¤%*;«~¨
¨~«;*%¤@## ##@¤%*;«~¨
¨~«;*%¤@## ##@¤%*;«~¨