,~~/§£## ###&£§/~~,
,~~/§£## ###&£§/~~,
,~/§£### ####&£§/~,
,~~/§£## ###&£§/~~,
,,,~~/£££# #£££/~~,,,
,~~/§£## 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?" ###&£§/~~,
,,,,~~/§ #&§/~~,,,,
,~~/§£&&&& &&&&£§/~~,
,,,,~~/§&& &&§/~~,,,,
,,,,,,,~§& &§~,,,,,,,
,~~/§£#### ####£§/~~,