¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~ ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~^ 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?" ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨, ,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~ ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨