##@§£§;-~.                                          .~-;§£§@##
###@§§;-~.                                          .~-;§§@###
##@§£§;-~.                                          .~-;§£§@##
§§;;;~....                                          ....~;;;§§
§§-~......                                          ......~-§§
##@§£§;-~.  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?"                 .....~~-§§
##@§£§;-~.                                          .~-;§£§@##
##@§£§;-~.                                          .~-;§£§@##
@@£§§;~...                                          ...~;§§£@@
@§§;-.....                                          .....-;§§@
##@§£§;-~.                                          .~-;§£§@##