#&&§~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~§&&#
&&&§*^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^*§&&&
##£&*§*~^¨                                          ¨^~*§*&£##
###£&*§*^¨                                          ¨^*§*&£###
##£&*§*~^¨                                          ¨^~*§*&£##
&§*^¨¨¨¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨¨¨¨¨~~§§&
£**~¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨~**£
£££&*§*~^¨                                          ¨^~*§*&£££
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££**~^¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨^~**££
###&*§*~^¨                                          ¨^~*§*&###