#¤§=«^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^«=§¤#
¤§=«^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^«=§¤
§=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=§
=«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«=
«^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^«
^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨^«=§¤#@
#@#¤§=«^¨¨ ¨¨^«=§¤#@#
##@#¤§=«^¨ ¨^«=§¤#@##
#@#¤§=«^¨¨ ¨¨^«=§¤#@#
@#¤§=«^¨¨¨ ¨¨¨^«=§¤#@
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