#@@¤$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$¤@@#
#@@¤$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$¤@@#
@¤^~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~^¤@
##@¤$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$¤@##
##@¤$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$¤@##
@¤^~--¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨-^^^¤¤
@$$^^^^~-¨ At Me, Teeth Filed Sharp. "Wanna Make A ¨-~^^^^$$@
##@¤$^^~-¨ Detour?" ¨-~^^$¤@##
#@@¤$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$¤@@#
##@@$^^~-¨ ¨-~^^$@@##
##@@¤^^~-¨ ¨-~^^¤@@##
¤$^^^^^~-¨ ¨-~^^^^^$¤
@¤$^-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-^$¤@