¨¨¨¨~«\^$§                                          §$^\«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«\^$§@                                          @§$^\«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«\^$§@@                                          @@§$^\«~¨¨
¨~«\^$§@@#                                          #@@§$^\«~¨
~«\^$§@@##                                          ##@@§$^\«~
¨~«\^$§@@#  orange-clad train-climber crew, moving  #@@§$^\«~¨
¨¨~«\^$§@@ along  the  rusty cargo  cars  like some @@§$^\«~¨¨
¨¨¨~«\^$§@ species  of ferrophage  insect.  up  and @§$^\«~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«\^$§ down the  train, checking  bolts, oiling §$^\«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~«\^$     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?"                 $^\«~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~«\^$§                                          §$^\«~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~«\^$§@                                          @§$^\«~¨¨¨
¨¨~«\^$§@@                                          @@§$^\«~¨¨
¨~«\^$§@@#                                          #@@§$^\«~¨
~«\^$§@@##                                          ##@@§$^\«~