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