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