,,,,,,,«*@ @*«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«*@¤ ¤@*«,,,,,,
,,,,,«*@¤¶ ¶¤@*«,,,,,
,,,,«*@¤¶# #¶¤@*«,,,,
,,,«*@¤¶## ##¶¤@*«,,,
,,«*@¤¶### 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?" *«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«*@ @*«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«*@¤ ¤@*«,,,,,,
,,,,,«*@¤¶ ¶¤@*«,,,,,
,,,,«*@¤¶# #¶¤@*«,,,,
,,,«*@¤¶## ##¶¤@*«,,,