.:~\†¤§¶@#                                          #@¶§¤†\~:.
..:~\†¤§¶@                                          @¶§¤†\~:..
.:~\†¤§¶@#                                          #@¶§¤†\~:.
..:~\†¤§¶@                                          @¶§¤†\~:..
.:~\†¤§¶@#                                          #@¶§¤†\~:.
..:~\†¤§¶@  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?"                 @¶§¤†\~:..
.:~\†¤§¶@#                                          #@¶§¤†\~:.
..:~\†¤§¶@                                          @¶§¤†\~:..
.:~\†¤§¶@#                                          #@¶§¤†\~:.
..:~\†¤§¶@                                          @¶§¤†\~:..
.:~\†¤§¶@#                                          #@¶§¤†\~:.