,,,,~«%%#£                                          £#%%«~,,,,
,~«//%%*##                                          ##*%%//«~,
,~~«///%%#                                          #%%///«~~,
,~«/%*#£@#                                          #@£#*%/«~,
,~«/%*#£##                                          ##£#*%/«~,
,~«/%****#  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?"                 @@£#*%/«~,
,~«/%*#£##                                          ##£#*%/«~,
,,,,,«%%#@                                          @#%%«,,,,,
,~«/%*###£                                          £###*%/«~,
,,,~~««%%#                                          #%%««~~,,,
,,,,,«//*#                                          #*//«,,,,,