¨^~/§$§@## ##@§$§/~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~§$@ @$§~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~//§§§§§ §§§§§//~^¨
¨^~//§§§@# #@§§§//~^¨
¨^~/§$$$$@ @$$$$§/~^¨
¨^~/§§§§§§ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving §§§§§§/~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~§§ along the rusty cargo cars like some §§~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~§$§@### species of ferrophage insect. up and ###@§$§~^¨
¨¨¨¨^/§$§§ down the train, checking bolts, oiling §§$§/^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~//§§ joints, drinking coffee, smoking §§//~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^^~§§ cigarettes. §§~^^¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/§$§@## ##@§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$§@## @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ##@§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$§@## ##@§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$$§§@ 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 #§§~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^/$@ sold a missile." he practically beams @$/^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~/§$§§@# at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a #@§§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$§@## detour?" ##@§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$§### ###§$§/~^¨
¨^~///§$§§ §§$§///~^¨
¨^~/§$§@@# #@@§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$§@## ##@§$§/~^¨
¨^~/§$§@## ##@§$§/~^¨