,,-†$&§@@@ @@@§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§@@@ @@@§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§§§@ @§§§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§@@# #@@§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§@@# #@@§&$†-,,
,,,,,,,-$§ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving §$-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,-$§ along the rusty cargo cars like some §$-,,,,,,,
,,,,,,†&@@ 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 §&†,,,,,,,
,,,,,,-$§@ few times. @§$-,,,,,,
,,,,,,,†$§ §$†,,,,,,,
,,-†$&§@@# i'm almost snoozing again at the time #@@§&$†-,,
,,,,,-$&§@ karl puts down the headphones and slaps @§&$-,,,,,
,,-†$&§@@# me on my back. "allright boy. i just #@@§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§@@@ sold a missile." he practically beams @@@§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§@@# at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a #@@§&$†-,,
,,-†$&§@@# detour?" #@@§&$†-,,
,,,,,,†$$§ §$$†,,,,,,
,,,,,,†&&@ @&&†,,,,,,
,,-†$&§@@@ @@@§&$†-,,
,,,,,-†&§@ @§&†-,,,,,
,,-†$&§@@# #@@§&$†-,,