,:=\§£§###                                          ###§£§\=:,
,:=§£§####                                          ####§£§=:,
,:=\§£§###                                          ###§£§\=:,
,,,,=\§§§#                                          #§§§\=,,,,
,:=\§££§§#                                          #§§££§\=:,
,,,,,::\£§  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?"                 §§£\=,,,,,
,,,,=\§£##                                          ##£§\=,,,,
,,,,,:=§§#                                          #§§=:,,,,,
,:::==§§§#                                          #§§§==:::,
,,,:::=§§#                                          #§§=:::,,,
,:=\§£§###                                          ###§£§\=:,