&§§§~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~§§§&
##¶&$§=~-¨                                          ¨-~=§$&¶##
###¶&$§=~-                                          -~=§$&¶###
&§~--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--~§&
#¶&§§~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~§§&¶#
&§=~¨¨¨¨¨¨  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 ¨¨¨¨¨-~§&¶
##¶&$§=~-¨                 detour?"                 ¨-~=§$&¶##
###¶&$=~-¨                                          ¨-~=$&¶###
##¶&$§=~-¨                                          ¨-~=§$&¶##
#¶¶&$§=~-¨                                          ¨-~=§$&¶¶#
&§=--¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨--=§&
###¶$§=~-¨                                          ¨-~=§$¶###