¨,,,«/$$@# #@$$/«,,,¨
¨«/*$@#@## ##@#@$*/«¨
¨,«/*$@#@# #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,«*@@ @@*«,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨,,««*$## ##$*««,,¨¨
¨,«/*$@### orange-clad train-climber crew, moving ###@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«/$## along the rusty cargo cars like some ##$/«¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@# species of ferrophage insect. up and #@#@$*/«,¨
¨,«/*$@#@# down the train, checking bolts, oiling #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,/$@#@ joints, drinking coffee, smoking @#@$/,¨¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@##@ cigarettes. @##@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨,,«**@# #@**«,,¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@# ############################## #@#@$*/«,¨
¨,«/*$@#@@ @@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,/*$@@ we were going south through finland at @@$*/,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,«/*@# 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 @#@*«««,¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@# detour?" #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,/$@ @$/,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«/*$@#@# #@#@$*/«,¨
¨,«/*$@#@# #@#@$*/«,¨
¨¨¨¨,,/$## ##$/,,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«*$# #$*«,¨¨¨¨¨