¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨
¨¨¨¨^;$&&# #&&$;^¨¨¨¨
¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ###&¤$;~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~$&# along the rusty cargo cars like some #&$~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~~;$¤¤&# species of ferrophage insect. up and #&¤¤$;~~^¨
¨¨¨~~$¤¤¤# down the train, checking bolts, oiling #¤¤¤$~~¨¨¨
¨^~;;$$¤&# joints, drinking coffee, smoking #&¤$$;;~^¨
¨^~;;;¤&## 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 &&¤;~~~¨¨¨
¨^~;$¤¤&## at all, but i hear the word "missile" a ##&¤¤$;~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨^;$¤# few times. #¤$;^¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨^;¤# #¤;^¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~;$¤&### i'm almost snoozing again at the time ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### karl puts down the headphones and slaps ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### me on my back. "allright boy. i just ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### sold a missile." he practically beams ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^^^~;$$¤# at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a #¤$$;~^^^¨
¨^~;$¤¤&&& detour?" &&&¤¤$;~^¨
¨¨¨¨~;$¤## ##¤$;~¨¨¨¨
¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨
¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~$&# #&$~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨^~;$¤&### ###&¤$;~^¨