#££^«:....                                          ....:«^££#
§††^::....                                          ....::^††§
#@#§£†^«:.                                          .:«^†£§#@#
##§†««....                                          ....««†§##
@@#§£†^«:.                                          .:«^†£§#@@
#§£^^^^«:.  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?"                 .....«††£#
#§†^::....                                          ....::^†§#
#£^«:::...                                          ...:::«^£#
#@#§£†^«:.                                          .:«^†£§#@#
##@§£†^«:.                                          .:«^†£§@##
#@#§£†^«:.                                          .:«^†£§#@#