¨::=//@@@# #@@@//=::¨
¨=/§@@#@## ##@#@@§/=¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:/§@ @§/:¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:=/§@@#@# #@#@@§/=:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=/@# #@/=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨::=//§@@@ 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?" @#@@/=¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:/§@@@ @@@§/:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:///§@ @§///:¨¨¨¨
¨:=/§@@#@# #@#@@§/=:¨
¨¨¨:=/@@@@ @@@@/=:¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨:/§@ @§/:¨¨¨¨¨¨