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