¨-«:†&#@## ##@#&†:«-¨
¨-«:†&&#@# #@#&&†:«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨««:&# #&:««¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«††&&& &&&††«¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-:&# #&:-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨-::&# 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?" #@#&&†:«-¨
¨-«:†&&#@@ @@#&&†:«-¨
¨-«:†&&### ###&&†:«-¨
¨-«:†&&### ###&&†:«-¨
¨¨¨¨¨«††&# #&††«¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«:†&&#@@ @@#&&†:«-¨