,,,,,,~~=§ §=~~,,,,,,
,,,,,~~=§@ @§=~~,,,,,
,,,,~~=§@£ £@§=~~,,,,
,,,~~=§@£# #£@§=~~,,,
,,~~=§@£## ##£@§=~~,,
,~~=§@£### 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?" ###£@§=~~,
,,~~=§@£## ##£@§=~~,,
,,,~~=§@£# #£@§=~~,,,
,,,,~~=§@£ £@§=~~,,,,
,,,,,~~=§@ @§=~~,,,,,
,,,,,,~~=§ §=~~,,,,,,