####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
#£/-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-/£#
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
####£%/--¨ 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?" ¨--/%£####
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####
##%/--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--/%##
####£%/--¨ ¨--/%£####