,,-^^£¤### ###¤£^^-,,
,,,,,-^¤## ##¤^-,,,,,
,,-^^£¤### ###¤£^^-,,
,,,,,^£¤## ##¤£^,,,,,
,,,,,-^^¤# #¤^^-,,,,,
,,,,,,,-^¤ 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?" ##¤£^^,,,,
,,,,,,^££¤ ¤££^,,,,,,
,,-^^£¤¤## ##¤¤£^^-,,
,,-^^££¤¤# #¤¤££^^-,,
,,-^^£¤### ###¤£^^-,,
,,-^£¤#### ####¤£^-,,