##@¤&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&¤@##
@¤§\~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~\§¤@
##@¤&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&¤@##
@¤¤§~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~§¤¤@
###@&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&@###
###@&§\~:¨ 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?" ¨:~\§&¤@##
##@¤&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&¤@##
##@¤&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&¤@##
##@¤&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&¤@##
##@¤&§\~:¨ ¨:~\§&¤@##
@@¤&§§\~:¨ ¨:~\§§&¤@@