,:-\*@£### ###£@*\-:,
,,,,-****£ £****-,,,,
,,,,,-\@£¶ ¶£@\-,,,,,
,,,,,:\@¶# #¶@\:,,,,,
,,,,,-*@£¶ ¶£@*-,,,,,
,,,,,:\\@¶ 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?" ###¶£@*\:,
,:-\*@£¶## ##¶£@*\-:,
,,,,,,-**£ £**-,,,,,,
,,,,,,:-*£ £*-:,,,,,,
,:-\****@£ £@****\-:,
,:-\*@£¶## ##¶£@*\-:,