.¤¤¤..¤..¤ ..¤.¤¤¤.¤¤
.¤.¤¤..¤.. ....¤.¤.¤¤
...¤¤¤..¤. ........¤¤
¤..¤.¤¤..¤ ¤.......¤¤
¤¤...¤¤¤.. ¤¤......¤.
¤¤¤..¤.¤¤. 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?" ..¤¤¤..¤.¤
¤¤..¤..... ..¤.¤¤...¤
.¤¤..¤.... ....¤¤¤..¤
.¤¤¤..¤... ....¤.¤¤..
.¤.¤¤..¤.. ......¤¤¤.
...¤¤¤..¤. ......¤.¤¤