,,,,,^\$¶¶                                          ¶¶$\^,,,,,
,^~\*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*\~^,
,^~\*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*\~^,
,^~\*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*\~^,
,^~\\***¤#                                          #¤***\\~^,
,,,,^\$$¤#  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 #¤$$$*\~^,
,^~\*$¤¶## me on  my  back.  "allright boy.  i just ##¶¤$*\~^,
,^~~~***¤¶ sold a  missile."  he  practically beams ¶¤***~~~^,
,,,,,^\$¤¤ at me, teeth filed sharp. "wanna make  a ¤¤$\^,,,,,
,^~\*$¤¶##                 detour?"                 ##¶¤$*\~^,
,^~\*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*\~^,
,^~\*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*\~^,
,,,,^\$$¶#                                          #¶$$\^,,,,
,^~\*$$$¤¤                                          ¤¤$$$*\~^,
,^~\*$¤¶##                                          ##¶¤$*\~^,