¨,~*%&§@@# #@@§&%*~,¨
¨,~*%&§@@# #@@§&%*~,¨
¨¨¨~~%%%&§ §&%%%~~¨¨¨
¨,~*%&&§@@ @@§&&%*~,¨
¨,~*%%%&&§ §&&%%%*~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~%&§ 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?" @§§%*~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,*&§@@ @@§&*,¨¨¨¨
¨,~*%&§@@# #@@§&%*~,¨
¨,~*%&§@## ##@§&%*~,¨
¨,~*%&§@@# #@@§&%*~,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~*&@ @&*~,¨¨¨¨¨