,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,
,,,,««;$£# #£$;««,,,,
,-«;$#@### ###@#$;«-,
,-«;$£@### ###@£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ##@#£$;«-,
,---«$£### along the rusty cargo cars like some ###£$«---,
,-«;$£##@@ species of ferrophage insect. up and @@##£$;«-,
,,,,,««$£@ down the train, checking bolts, oiling @£$««,,,,,
,,,,,,-«$# joints, drinking coffee, smoking #$«-,,,,,,
,-«;$£££## cigarettes. ##£££$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@@# @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ #@@#£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## we were going south through finland at ##@#£$;«-,
,--««;££## 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 #@£;;--,,,
,-«;$££### detour?" ###££$;«-,
,,,,,««$$# #$$««,,,,,
,,,,-;££## ##££;-,,,,
,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,
,-«;$£#@## ##@#£$;«-,