§%==.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.==%§
§%*.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.*%§
#@@§%%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%%§@@#
##@@§%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%§@@##
@@%%=..¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨..=%%@@
§%%%**=¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨=%§
§%%%==¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨==%%%§
@@@§%%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%%§@@@
@%*.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.*%@
#@@§%%*=.¨                                          ¨.=*%%§@@#
§%=.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.=%§