¨¨¨¨¨==%$@ @$%==¨¨¨¨¨
¨-=:::%&&& &&&%:::=-¨
¨¨¨¨--::%& &%::--¨¨¨¨
¨-=:%$&@@@ @@@&$%:=-¨
¨-=:%$&@@# #@@&$%:=-¨
¨-==:%$$&@ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving @&$$%:==-¨
¨-==:%%&@@ 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?" &%::-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=%&@ @&%=¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨--:%&@@ @@&%:--¨¨¨
¨-=:%$&@@@ @@@&$%:=-¨
¨-=:%$&@@@ @@@&$%:=-¨
¨¨¨¨-:$&@@ @@&$:-¨¨¨¨