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