&&&&,&&,&&                                          ,,&&&,,&&&
,,,&&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,,,
,,&,&&,&&,                                          &&,&&&&,,,
,&&&,&&,&&                                          ,&&,,,&,,,
&,,&&,&&,&                                          &,&,,&&,,,
&,&,&&,&&&  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?"                 &,&&&&&&,&
&&&&&&,&,,                                          &&,,,,,&&&
,,,,,&&&,,                                          ,&,,,,&,,,
,,,,&,,&,,                                          &&,,,&&,,,
,,,&&,&&,&                                          ,&,,&,&,,,
,,&,&&,&&,                                          &&,&&&&,,,