¨.~~~~/%%# #%%/~~~~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~%%# #%%~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨.~/%%@@# #@@%%/~.¨¨
¨.~/%@#¶@# #@¶#@%/~.¨
¨.~/%@#¶@# #@¶#@%/~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~/%# 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?" #%%%~¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~/%#¶@## ##@¶#%/~.¨
¨¨¨..~/@¶@ @¶@/~..¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~%%@¶¶ ¶¶@%%~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~//@## ##@//~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~/@@¶ ¶@@/~.¨¨¨¨