¨¨--=*£¤##                                          ##¤£*=--¨¨
¨--=*£¤###                                          ###¤£*=--¨
¨¨--=*£¤##                                          ##¤£*=--¨¨
¨¨¨--=*£¤#                                          #¤£*=--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--=*£¤                                          ¤£*=--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--=*£  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?"                 #¤£*=--¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--=*£¤                                          ¤£*=--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨--=*£                                          £*=--¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨--=*£¤                                          ¤£*=--¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--=*£¤#                                          #¤£*=--¨¨¨
¨¨--=*£¤##                                          ##¤£*=--¨¨