###&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&###
&$$*-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-*$$&
###&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&###
##@&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&@##
##@&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&@##
@$**«-¨¨¨¨  Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving  ¨¨¨¨-«**$@
##@&$=*«-¨ Along The Rusty  Cargo  Cars  Like  Some ¨-«*=$&@##
&==*««-¨¨¨ 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?"                 ¨¨¨«««*$$&
##@&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&@##
##@&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&@##
###@$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$@###
@@@&$=*«-¨                                          ¨-«*=$&@@@
#&=**-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-**=&#