.^«*§§§¶##                                          ##¶§§§*«^.
....^«§§¶#                                          #¶§§«^....
.^«*§§§¶¶#                                          #¶¶§§§*«^.
.^^«**§§§#                                          #§§§**«^^.
.^«*§§§¶##                                          ##¶§§§*«^.
.^«*§§§¶##  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?"                 ##¶§§§*«^.
.^«*§§§§§¶                                          ¶§§§§§*«^.
.....«*§§¶                                          ¶§§*«.....
.^«*§§§¶##                                          ##¶§§§*«^.
.....^*§§¶                                          ¶§§*^.....
.^«*§§§¶##                                          ##¶§§§*«^.