¤@†*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*†@¤
@†*--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--*†@
†*--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--*†
@†*--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--*†@
¤@†*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*†@¤
#¤@†*--¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨--*†@¤#
¤@†*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*†@¤
@†*--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--*†@
†*--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--*†
@†*--¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨--*†@
¤@†*--¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨--*†@¤