,,~«;$¤@@# #@@¤$;«~,,
,,,~«;$¤@@ @@¤$;«~,,,
,,,,~«;$¤@ @¤$;«~,,,,
,,,,,~«;$¤ ¤$;«~,,,,,
,,,,,,~«;$ $;«~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~«; orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ;«~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~« along the rusty cargo cars like some «~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~«; species of ferrophage insect. up and ;«~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~«;$ 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?" ¤$;«~,,,,,
,,,,,,~«;$ $;«~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~«; ;«~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~« «~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~«; ;«~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~«;$ $;«~,,,,,,