....,«:*&¤                                          ¤&*:«,....
.....,«:*&                                          &*:«,.....
......,«:*                                          *:«,......
.....,«:*&                                          &*:«,.....
....,«:*&¤                                          ¤&*:«,....
...,«:*&¤#  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?"                 #¤&*:«,...
....,«:*&¤                                          ¤&*:«,....
.....,«:*&                                          &*:«,.....
......,«:*                                          *:«,......
.....,«:*&                                          &*:«,.....
....,«:*&¤                                          ¤&*:«,....