###¤^*=-¨¨ ¨¨-=*^¤###
####¤^*=-¨ ¨-=*^¤####
###¤^*=-¨¨ ¨¨-=*^¤###
##¤^*=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=*^¤##
#¤^*=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=*^¤#
¤^*=-¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨-=*^¤##
###¤^*=-¨¨ ¨¨-=*^¤###
####¤^*=-¨ ¨-=*^¤####
###¤^*=-¨¨ ¨¨-=*^¤###
##¤^*=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=*^¤##
#¤^*=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=*^¤#