¨^»/=%&@## ##@&%=/»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»==& &==»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»/=%&££@ @££&%=/»^¨
¨^»/=%&£## ##£&%=/»^¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»/%& &%/»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»/=%&£@@ 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?" @&&%/»¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨»»/%& &%/»»¨¨¨¨¨
¨^»»»»=&&& &&&=»»»»^¨
¨^»/=%&£@# #@£&%=/»^¨
¨¨¨»»===&£ £&===»»¨¨¨
¨^»/==%%£@ @£%%==/»^¨