#$$$===... ...===$$$#
@@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@@
#@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@#
#@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@#
@@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@@
£@$;-..... orange-clad train-climber crew, moving .....-;$@£
££#$$;--.. along the rusty cargo cars like some ..--;$$#££
##@£#@;=-. 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?" .-=;;$$$#@
@@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@@
##$;;=-... ...-=;;$##
#@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@#
#@£#@$;=-. .-=;$@#£@#
####@$;=-. .-=;$@####