¨~~~::::%@ @%::::~~~¨
¨~~:†%¤@## ##@¤%†:~~¨
¨~~:†%¤### ###¤%†:~~¨
¨~~:†%¤¤¤@ @¤¤¤%†:~~¨
¨~~:†%¤@@# #@@¤%†:~~¨
¨¨¨¨~::%%@ 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?" ¤†:~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~†¤¤ ¤¤†~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~~:†¤@### ###@¤†:~~¨
¨~~:†%¤@## ##@¤%†:~~¨
¨~~:†%¤@## ##@¤%†:~~¨
¨~~:†%¤@## ##@¤%†:~~¨