....^*§££@                                          @££§*^....
.^~*§*£#@#                                          #@#£*§*~^.
.....~~~§£                                          £§~~~.....
.....~*§£@                                          @£§*~.....
.^~*§*£#@#                                          #@#£*§*~^.
.^~*§§§§§£  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?"                 #@#£*§*~^.
.^~*§**££@                                          @££**§*~^.
.^~*§*£#@#                                          #@#£*§*~^.
.^~*§*£#@#                                          #@#£*§*~^.
.....~*§*£                                          £*§*~.....
......^*§£                                          £§*^......