,,,,,^;$££                                          ££$;^,,,,,
,,,,^^;$££                                          ££$;^^,,,,
,,,^«;$$££                                          ££$$;«^,,,
,,,,«;;$££                                          ££$;;«,,,,
,,,,^«;;££                                          ££;;«^,,,,
,^«;$££@##  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ##@££$;«^,
,^«;$££@## along the  rusty cargo  cars  like  some ##@££$;«^,
,^«;$££@## species  of  ferrophage  insect. up  and ##@££$;«^,
,,,,,^«$££ down  the train, checking bolts,  oiling ££$«^,,,,,
,^«;$££@##     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     ##@££$;«^,
,^^«««;££#                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 @£;«^,,,,,
,^«;$££@## sold a  missile."  he  practically beams ##@££$;«^,
,^«;$££@## at me,  teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ##@££$;«^,
,,,,,,,«$£                 detour?"                 £$«,,,,,,,
,,,,^^;$£@                                          @£$;^^,,,,
,,,,,,«$££                                          ££$«,,,,,,
,^;$££@###                                          ###@££$;^,
,^«;$££@@#                                          #@@££$;«^,
,,,,,^;£@@                                          @@£;^,,,,,