*=†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†=*
¤*=†~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~†=*¤
#¤*=†~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~†=*¤#
##¤*=†~-¨¨ ¨¨-~†=*¤##
###¤*=†~-¨ ¨-~†=*¤###
##¤*=†~-¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†=
*=†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†=*
¤*=†~-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-~†=*¤
#¤*=†~-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-~†=*¤#
##¤*=†~-¨¨ ¨¨-~†=*¤##
###¤*=†~-¨ ¨-~†=*¤###