,,,,,«=%£§                                          §£%=«,,,,,
,,,,«=%£§#                                          #§£%=«,,,,
,,,«=%£§#@                                          @#§£%=«,,,
,,«=%£§#@#                                          #@#§£%=«,,
,,,«=%£§#@                                          @#§£%=«,,,
,,,,«=%£§#  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?"                 #@#§£%=«,,
,,,«=%£§#@                                          @#§£%=«,,,
,,,,«=%£§#                                          #§£%=«,,,,
,,,,,«=%£§                                          §£%=«,,,,,
,,,,,,«=%£                                          £%=«,,,,,,
,,,,,«=%£§                                          §£%=«,,,,,