£&*†~~.... ....~~†*&£
££&*†~~... ...~~†*&££
#££&*†~~.. ..~~†*&££#
##££&*†~~. .~~†*&££##
#££&*†~~.. ..~~†*&££#
££&*†~~... 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?" .~~†*&££##
#££&*†~~.. ..~~†*&££#
££&*†~~... ...~~†*&££
£&*†~~.... ....~~†*&£
&*†~~..... .....~~†*&
£&*†~~.... ....~~†*&£