.....,«=^&                                          &^=«,.....
......,«=^                                          ^=«,......
.......,«=                                          =«,.......
........,«                                          «,........
.......,«=                                          =«,.......
......,«=^  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?"                 «,........
.......,«=                                          =«,.......
......,«=^                                          ^=«,......
.....,«=^&                                          &^=«,.....
....,«=^&£                                          £&^=«,....
...,«=^&££                                          ££&^=«,...