##@£%*=~.¨                                          ¨.~=*%£@##
#@£%*=~.¨¨                                          ¨¨.~=*%£@#
@£%*=~.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.~=*%£@
£%*=~.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.~=*%£
%*=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=*%
*=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨¨¨¨.~=*%£
%*=~.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.~=*%
*=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=*
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=
~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~
=~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~=