.~«:*&#£##                                          ##£#&*:«~.
.~«:*&####                                          ####&*:«~.
.~«:*&#£##                                          ##£#&*:«~.
......«*&£                                          £&*«......
..~«::*&££                                          ££&*::«~..
.~~~~::&££  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?"                 ##£#&*:«~.
.~«:*&#£##                                          ##£#&*:«~.
.~«:*&£###                                          ###£&*:«~.
.~«:*&#£##                                          ##£#&*:«~.
......«*&£                                          £&*«......
......«*#£                                          £#*«......