###¤£^/~:.                                          .:~/^£¤###
#¤£/:.....                                          .....:/£¤#
###¤£^/~:.                                          .:~/^£¤###
###¤£^/~:.                                          .:~/^£¤###
#¤^/~:....                                          ....:~/^¤#
###¤£^/~:.  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?"                 .:~/^£¤###
#¤£^//:...                                          ...://^£¤#
#£/~~::::.                                          .::::~~/£#
###¤£^/~:.                                          .:~/^£¤###
#¤£^^^/~:.                                          .:~/^^^£¤#
###¤£^/~:.                                          .:~/^£¤###