##£@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@£##
@@@&&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&&@@@
###£&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&£###
£@@@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@@@£
@@$$===«~.                                          .~«===$$@@
##£@&$=«~.  Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving  .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~. Along  The  Rusty Cargo  Cars  Like Some .~«=$&@£##
#££@&$=«~. Species  Of  Ferrophage  Insect.  Up And .~«=$&@££#
##£@&$=«~. Down The  Train, Checking Bolts,  Oiling .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~.     Joints, Drinking Coffee, Smoking     .~«=$&@£##
@@&===~...               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.         ..~~==&@@£
##£@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~. I Call It In  On The  Walkie-Talkie. Not .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~. Many  Others  Awake,  They Know  Nothing .~«=$&@£##
@&$«~..... About It, And Appear Concerned As  Well. .....~«$&@
@&&=««~~..                                          ..~~««=&&@
##£@&$=«~.      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~. When  I Fall  Awake  In  The  Afternoon, .~«=$&@£##
@&$=~..... Karl  Is  There,  Smiling  At  Me.  "Hey .....~=$&@
###@&$=«~. Boy,"  He Says, "Wanna  Help Me  Make  A .~«=$&@###
#£@$««««~.                  Call?"                  .~««««$@£#
###@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@###
@&$=~~~... After He'S  Brought Me  Coffee,  I  Dial ...~~~=$&@
@$$$«~~... The  Frequency  From  His  Notebook, And ...~~«$$$@
#£&$««.... After   A   While  There'S  A  Reply  In ....««$&£#
##£@&$=«~. Pan-Slavic.  Karl  Laughs  And  Makes  A .~«=$&@£##
£@@$«~.... Reply In The Same Language.  Even Though ....~«$@@£
@@$$$$=«~. We Both Have Headphones  I Can'T  Follow .~«=$$$$@@
##£@&$=«~. At  All, But I Hear The Word "Missile" A .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~.                Few Times.                .~«=$&@£##
##£@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@£##
£££@&$=«~. I'M Almost Snoozing Again  At  The  Time .~«=$&@£££
££@&=«««~. Karl Puts Down The Headphones  And Slaps .~«««=&@££
@&=«~..... Me  On  My Back. "Allright Boy.  I  Just .....~«=&@
##£@&$=«~. Sold  A  Missile."  He Practically Beams .~«=$&@£##
#£@&&$=«~. At Me, Teeth Filed Sharp.  "Wanna Make A .~«=$&&@£#
##£@&$=«~.                 Detour?"                 .~«=$&@£##
#£@$$==«~.                                          .~«==$$@£#
@&==~.....                                          .....~==&@
##£@&$=«~.                                          .~«=$&@£##
£@&&$$=«~.                                          .~«=$$&&@£
£@&$$«....                                          ....«$$&@£