,^~\^£&###                                          ###&£^\~^,
,,^~\^£&##                                          ##&£^\~^,,
,,,^~\^£&#                                          #&£^\~^,,,
,,^~\^£&##                                          ##&£^\~^,,
,^~\^£&###                                          ###&£^\~^,
,,^~\^£&##  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?"                 ##&£^\~^,,
,^~\^£&###                                          ###&£^\~^,
,,^~\^£&##                                          ##&£^\~^,,
,,,^~\^£&#                                          #&£^\~^,,,
,,^~\^£&##                                          ##&£^\~^,,
,^~\^£&###                                          ###&£^\~^,