#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, along the rusty cargo cars like some ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, species of ferrophage insect. up and ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, down the train, checking bolts, oiling ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, joints, drinking coffee, smoking ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, cigarettes. ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, we were going south through finland at ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, the time, sleeping close to the ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, furnace, watching the aurora borealis. ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, twenty-something members of the crew, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, most of which were mechanics, or ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, loaders, with large and hairy hands ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, that could swallow my entire body. and ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, me featuring as the cute and asocial ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, radio operator, stationed in the back ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, of the kilometer-long train, which ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, served me good and well. ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, and then one night, there's a missile. ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, we would routinely pick up new cars at ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, the tail, and drop some off, as a way ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, of earning some extra money. but a ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, missile, and appearing silently in the ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, middle of the night at that? not ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, entirely... comfortable. ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, i call it in on the walkie-talkie. not ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, many others awake, they know nothing ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, about it, and appear concerned as well. ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, when i fall awake in the afternoon, ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, karl is there, smiling at me. "hey ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, boy," he says, "wanna help me make a ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, call?" ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, after he's brought me coffee, i dial ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, the frequency from his notebook, and ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, after a while there's a reply in ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, pan-slavic. karl laughs and makes a ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, reply in the same language. even though ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, we both have headphones i can't follow ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, at all, but i hear the word "missile" a ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, few times. ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, i'm almost snoozing again at the time ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, karl puts down the headphones and slaps ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, me on my back. "allright boy. i just ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, sold a missile." he practically beams ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make a ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, detour?" ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#
##@£¤$*^^, ,^^*$¤£@##
#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#
@£¤$*^^,,, ,,,^^*$¤£@
#@£¤$*^^,, ,,^^*$¤£@#