¶&&&†\~,,.                                          .,,~\†&&&¶
¶¶¶§&†\~,.                                          .,~\†&§¶¶¶
#@¶§&†\~,.                                          .,~\†&§¶@#
#@¶§&†\~,.                                          .,~\†&§¶@#
@§†††\~...                                          ...~\†††§@
#@¶§&†\~,.  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?"                 .,~\†&§¶@#
@@¶§&†\~,.                                          .,~\†&§¶@@
§&&\~.....                                          .....~\&&§
@§†\\,....                                          ....,\\†§@
#@¶§&†\~,.                                          .,~\†&§¶@#
##@¶§&\~,.                                          .,~\&§¶@##