¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~†%¤                                          ¤%†~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨¨¨¨.~%¤##  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?"                 ###¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤¤¤#                                          #¤¤¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨
¨.~†%§¤###                                          ###¤§%†~.¨