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