¨¨¨¨~~†$¶#                                          #¶$†~~¨¨¨¨
¨~~†=$§¶##                                          ##¶§$=†~~¨
¨¨¨~~=$§§¶                                          ¶§§$=~~¨¨¨
¨~~†===§¶#                                          #¶§===†~~¨
¨~~†=$¶###                                          ###¶$=†~~¨
¨~~†=$§¶##  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  ##¶§$=†~~¨
¨~~†=$§¶¶# along the rusty  cargo  cars  like  some #¶¶§$=†~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=§ 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?"                 §§==~~~¨¨¨
¨~~†=$§¶##                                          ##¶§$=†~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~†=§¶                                          ¶§=†~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~†=$§¶##                                          ##¶§$=†~~¨
¨~~†=$¶###                                          ###¶$=†~~¨
¨¨¨¨~††=$§                                          §$=††~¨¨¨¨