#@£#$^/«..                                          ..«/^$#£@#
#$$^«.....                                          .....«^$$#
##@£$^/«..                                          ..«/^$£@##
@#^««.....                                          .....««^#@
#@£#$^/«..                                          ..«/^$#£@#
@##^«.....  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 ....««^$$#
####$^/«.. sold a missile."  he  practically  beams ..«/^$####
@£##$^/«.. at me, teeth filed  sharp. "wanna make a ..«/^$##£@
@@£#$^/«..                 detour?"                 ..«/^$#£@@
#$//......                                          ......//$#
#@£#$^/«..                                          ..«/^$#£@#
#@£#$^/«..                                          ..«/^$#£@#
#@£#$^/«..                                          ..«/^$#£@#
#@£#$^/«..                                          ..«/^$#£@#