....==†£§@                                          @§£†==....
.....==†£§                                          §£†==.....
......==†£                                          £†==......
.......==†                                          †==.......
........==                                          ==........
.......==†  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?"                 #@§£†==...
....==†£§@                                          @§£†==....
.....==†£§                                          §£†==.....
......==†£                                          £†==......
.......==†                                          †==.......
........==                                          ==........