¨¨¨,~^§$¶@                                          @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶                                          ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@                                          @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@##                                          ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ along  the  rusty cargo  cars  like some @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶ species  of  ferrophage  insect.  up and ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ down the train, checking  bolts,  oiling @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#     joints, drinking coffee, smoking     #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@##               cigarettes.                ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶                                          ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ we were  going south through  finland at @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# the   time,   sleeping   close   to  the #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@##  furnace, watching the aurora borealis.  ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#   twenty-something members of the crew,  #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ most  of   which   were  mechanics,   or @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶ loaders,  with  large  and  hairy  hands ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ that  could swallow  my entire body. and @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# me  featuring as the  cute  and  asocial #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@## radio operator,  stationed  in  the back ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#    of the kilometer-long train, which    #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@         served me good and well.         @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶                                          ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ and then one  night,  there's a missile. @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# we  would routinely pick up  new cars at #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@## the tail, and  drop  some off, as  a way ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# of  earning  some  extra  money.  but  a #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ missile, and  appearing  silently in the @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶ middle  of   the  night   at  that?  not ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@         entirely... comfortable.         @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@## i call it in on  the  walkie-talkie. not ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# many  others  awake, they  know  nothing #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ about it, and appear concerned as  well. @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶                                          ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@      ¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶¶      @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@## when  i  fall awake  in  the  afternoon, ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# karl  is  there,  smiling  at  me.  "hey #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ boy,"  he  says,  "wanna help me make  a @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶                  call?"                  ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@                                          @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# after  he's brought me  coffee,  i  dial #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@## the  frequency  from  his notebook,  and ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# after   a  while  there's  a   reply  in #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ pan-slavic.  karl  laughs  and  makes  a @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶ reply  in the same language. even though ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ we both  have  headphones i can't follow @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# at all, but  i hear the word "missile" a #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@##                few times.                ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ i'm almost snoozing  again at  the  time @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶ karl  puts down the headphones and slaps ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@ me  on my back.  "allright  boy.  i just @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@# sold a  missile." he  practically  beams #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@## at me,  teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ##@¶$§^~,¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                 detour?"                 #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@                                          @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~^§$¶                                          ¶$§^~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~^§$¶@                                          @¶$§^~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~^§$¶@#                                          #@¶$§^~,¨¨
¨,~^§$¶@##                                          ##@¶$§^~,¨