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