,,,«=^*£@#                                          #@£*^=«,,,
,,«=^*£@##                                          ##@£*^=«,,
,,,«=^*£@#                                          #@£*^=«,,,
,,,,«=^*£@                                          @£*^=«,,,,
,,,«=^*£@#                                          #@£*^=«,,,
,,«=^*£@##  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?"                 @£*^=«,,,,
,,,«=^*£@#                                          #@£*^=«,,,
,,«=^*£@##                                          ##@£*^=«,,
,,,«=^*£@#                                          #@£*^=«,,,
,,,,«=^*£@                                          @£*^=«,,,,
,,,«=^*£@#                                          #@£*^=«,,,