@@#¤§^†«-¨ ¨-«†^§¤#@@
#@#¤§^†«-¨ ¨-«†^§¤#@#
@¤¤^^^†«-¨ ¨-«†^^^¤¤@
¤¤§†««--¨¨ ¨¨--««†§¤¤
#¤§§^«««-¨ ¨-«««^§§¤#
¤§^†††-¨¨¨ 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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