,.~;$$£¶@# #@¶£$$;~.,
,.~;$$£¶@# #@¶£$$;~.,
,.~;$$£¶@# #@¶£$$;~.,
,.~;;;$££@ @££$;;;~.,
,.~;$$£¶@# #@¶£$$;~.,
,.~;$$$$¶@ orange-clad train-climber crew, moving @¶$$$$;~.,
,.~;$£¶@## along the rusty cargo cars like some ##@¶£$;~.,
,.~;$$£¶## 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?" #@¶£$$;~.,
,.~;$$¶@## ##@¶$$;~.,
,,,~;;$$££ ££$$;;~,,,
,.~;$$£@## ##@£$$;~.,
,,,,,,,~$£ £$~,,,,,,,
,...;$$££¶ ¶££$$;...,