@#$*\~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~\*$#@
#@#$*\~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~\*$#@#
##@#$*\~¨¨ ¨¨~\*$#@##
###@#$*\~¨ ¨~\*$#@###
##@#$*\~¨¨ ¨¨~\*$#@##
#@#$*\~¨¨¨ Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving ¨¨¨~\*$#@#
@#$*\~¨¨¨¨ Along The Rusty Cargo Cars Like Some ¨¨¨¨~\*$#@
#$*\~¨¨¨¨¨ Species Of Ferrophage Insect. Up And ¨¨¨¨¨~\*$#
$*\~¨¨¨¨¨¨ Down The Train, Checking Bolts, Oiling ¨¨¨¨¨¨~\*$
*\~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~\*
$*\~¨¨¨¨¨¨ We Both Have Headphones I Can'T Follow ¨¨¨¨¨¨~\*$
#$*\~¨¨¨¨¨ At All, But I Hear The Word "Missile" A ¨¨¨¨¨~\*$#
@#$*\~¨¨¨¨ Few Times. ¨¨¨¨~\*$#@
#@#$*\~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~\*$#@#
##@#$*\~¨¨ I'M Almost Snoozing Again At The Time ¨¨~\*$#@##
###@#$*\~¨ Karl Puts Down The Headphones And Slaps ¨~\*$#@###
##@#$*\~¨¨ Me On My Back. "Allright Boy. I Just ¨¨~\*$#@##
#@#$*\~¨¨¨ Sold A Missile." He Practically Beams ¨¨¨~\*$#@#
@#$*\~¨¨¨¨ At Me, Teeth Filed Sharp. "Wanna Make A ¨¨¨¨~\*$#@
#$*\~¨¨¨¨¨ Detour?" ¨¨¨¨¨~\*$#
$*\~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~\*$
*\~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~\*
\~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~\
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨