,,£,£,,,,£                                          ,£,,,,£,,,
,,,,,£,,,£                                          ,,£,,,,£,,
,,,,,,£,,£                                          ,,,£,,,,£,
,,,,,,,£,,                                          £,,,£,,,,£
£,,,,,,,£,                                          ££,,,£,,,,
,£,,,,,,,£  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?"                 ,,,£,,,,,,
,,£,,£,££,                                          ,,,,£,,,,,
,,,£,,,£££                                          £,,,,£,,,,
,,,,£,,£,£                                          ,£,,,,£,,,
,,,,,£,,,£                                          ,,£,,,,£,,
,,,,,,£,,£                                          ,,,£,,,,£,