¨¨¨¨,-=*$&                                          &$*=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-=*$&¶                                          ¶&$*=-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶#                                          #¶&$*=-,¨¨
¨,-=*$&¶##                                          ##¶&$*=-,¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶#                                          #¶&$*=-,¨¨
¨¨¨,-=*$&¶  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ¶&$*=-,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=*$& along  the  rusty  cargo cars  like some &$*=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,-=*$ 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?"                 $*=-,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,-=*$&                                          &$*=-,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,-=*$&¶                                          ¶&$*=-,¨¨¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶#                                          #¶&$*=-,¨¨
¨,-=*$&¶##                                          ##¶&$*=-,¨
¨¨,-=*$&¶#                                          #¶&$*=-,¨¨