¨¨¨¨¨:~:§§                                          §§:~:¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~:%§§¶@#                                          #@¶§§%:~:¨
¨:~:%§§§¶@                                          @¶§§§%:~:¨
¨¨::~%%§§§                                          §§§%%~::¨¨
¨:~:%§§§¶@                                          @¶§§§%:~:¨
¨:~:%§§§§¶  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?"                 @@¶§§%:~:¨
¨:~:%§§¶¶@                                          @¶¶§§%:~:¨
¨¨¨:::%§§§                                          §§§%:::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨::§¶                                          ¶§::¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨:~:%§§§§¶                                          ¶§§§§%:~:¨
¨:~:%§§¶@#                                          #@¶§§%:~:¨