¨-~/%£####                                          ####£%/~-¨
¨¨-~/%£###                                          ###£%/~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~/%£##                                          ##£%/~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~/%£#                                          #£%/~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~/%£##                                          ##£%/~-¨¨¨
¨¨-~/%£###  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?"                 ###£%/~-¨¨
¨-~/%£####                                          ####£%/~-¨
¨¨-~/%£###                                          ###£%/~-¨¨
¨¨¨-~/%£##                                          ##£%/~-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-~/%£#                                          #£%/~-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨-~/%£##                                          ##£%/~-¨¨¨