.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.^~/*%¤£##  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?"                 £¤**~^....
.....^~**¤                                          ¤**~^.....
.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.^~/*%¤£##                                          ##£¤%*/~^.
.....~**%£                                          £%**~.....
.....~/*¤£                                          £¤*/~.....