,~»/%£§£##                                          ##£§£%/»~,
,,,,,,~»%§                                          §%»~,,,,,,
,~»/%£§£##                                          ##£§£%/»~,
,~~»»»/£££                                          £££/»»»~~,
,~»/%£§£##                                          ##£§£%/»~,
,~»/%£§###  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?"                 #££//~~,,,
,~»/%£§£##                                          ##£§£%/»~,
,~»/%£§££#                                          #££§£%/»~,
,~»/%£§£##                                          ##£§£%/»~,
,~»/%%%%£§                                          §£%%%%/»~,
,~»/%£§£##                                          ##£§£%/»~,