¨,»/$£§###                                          ###§£$/»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,/$£#                                          #£$/,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨»$§                                          §$»¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»/$£####                                          ####£$/»,¨
¨¨,,,/£§§#                                          #§§£/,,,¨¨
¨,»/$$$§§#  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  #§§$$$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§§## along  the  rusty  cargo cars  like some ##§§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§### species  of  ferrophage  insect. up  and ###§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§§§# down the train,  checking  bolts, oiling #§§§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$§####     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     ####§$/»,¨
¨¨,»»/££§#               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 #£/»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»/$£§### at all, but  i hear the word "missile" a ###§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§###                few times.                ###§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§###                                          ###§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§### i'm almost  snoozing  again  at the time ###§£$/»,¨
¨¨¨¨,»»»$§ karl puts down the  headphones and slaps §$»»»,¨¨¨¨
¨,»/$£§### me  on  my  back. "allright  boy. i just ###§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£#### sold a missile."  he  practically  beams ####£$/»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨»$§# at me,  teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a #§$»¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,,»»»»»$§                 detour?"                 §$»»»»»,,¨
¨,»/$$$$§#                                          #§$$$$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§###                                          ###§£$/»,¨
¨,»/$£§###                                          ###§£$/»,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,»»$§                                          §$»»,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,»/$£§###                                          ###§£$/»,¨