.-~=†&&¶## ##¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶## ##¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶¶¶ ¶¶¶&&†=~-.
...-~===†& &†===~-...
.-~=†&&¶¶¶ ¶¶¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶¶# 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?" &&&&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶## ##¶&&†=~-.
.-~=†&&¶## ##¶&&†=~-.
.....~†††& &†††~.....
.-~=†&&&&¶ ¶&&&&†=~-.
.-~=†&## ###&&†=~-.