,,«:*§£#@# #@#£§*:«,,
,,,«::::§£ £§::::«,,,
,,«:*§£#@# #@#£§*:«,,
,,«:*§£### ###£§*:«,,
,,,,,««:§# #§:««,,,,,
,,«:*§§§#@ 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?" ##££§*:«,,
,,,,,«:§££ ££§:«,,,,,
,,«:*§§£#@ @#£§§*:«,,
,,,,,,«:§# #§:«,,,,,,
,,,,,,«:§# #§:«,,,,,,
,,,,,«::*£ £*::«,,,,,