£,£££,,£,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,£
£,£,££,,£,                                          £,,,,,,,,£
£,,,£££,,£                                          ,£,,,,,,,£
££,,£,££,,                                          ,,£,,,,,,£
,££,,,£££,                                          ,,,£,,,,,£
,£££,,£,££  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?"                 ,,,£££,,£,
£££,,£,,,£                                          ,,,£,££,,,
£,££,,£,,,                                          ,,,,,£££,,
,,£££,,£,,                                          ,,,,,£,££,
,,£,££,,£,                                          £,,,,,,£££
£,,,£££,,£                                          ,£,,,,,£,£