#@¶@§^†~,¨ ¨,~†^§@¶@#
#@¶@§^†~,¨ ¨,~†^§@¶@#
¶§††~,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,~††§¶
@@§^~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~^§@@
@@§†,,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,,†§@@
#@¶@§^†~,¨ 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?" ¨,~†^§@¶##
##@¶@^†~,¨ ¨,~†^@¶@##
¶§†~,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,~†§¶
@@¶@§^†~,¨ ¨,~†^§@¶@@
@¶¶@§^†~,¨ ¨,~†^§@¶¶@
#@¶@§^†~,¨ ¨,~†^§@¶@#