#@@£=;~~.. ..~~;=£@@#
##@@£=;~~. .~~;=£@@##
#@@£=;~~.. ..~~;=£@@#
@@£=;~~... ...~~;=£@@
@£=;~~.... ....~~;=£@
£=;~~..... 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?" ...~~;=£@@
@£=;~~.... ....~~;=£@
£=;~~..... .....~~;=£
=;~~...... ......~~;=
;~~....... .......~~;
~~........ ........~~