##&**«¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨«**&##
@@#&§*\«,¨ ¨,«\*§&#@@
#@#&§*\«,¨ ¨,«\*§&#@#
&&&&§*\«,¨ ¨,«\*§&&&&
&*\«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«\*&
@#§§§*\«,¨ 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?" ¨,«\*§&#@#
#@#&§*\«,¨ ¨,«\*§&#@#
#§**«¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨«**§#
&&*«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«*&&
@&&§§*\«,¨ ¨,«\*§§&&@
###&§*\«,¨ ¨,«\*§&###