$*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*$
*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«
*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*
$*«~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~«*$
§$*«~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~«*$§
&§$*«~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~«*$§&