,~«^§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§^«~,
,~«««^^§%£                                          £%§^^«««~,
,~«^§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§^«~,
,,,,,~^^§£                                          £§^^~,,,,,
,,,,,~«§%¶                                          ¶%§«~,,,,,
,,,,«§%%££  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?"                 ¶£%^«,,,,,
,~«^§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§^«~,
,,,,,««§§£                                          £§§««,,,,,
,~«^§%£££¶                                          ¶£££%§^«~,
,,,,,,«^%¶                                          ¶%^«,,,,,,
,~«^§%£¶##                                          ##¶£%§^«~,