..,«*§%¤@#                                          #@¤%§*«,..
.,«*§%¤@##                                          ##@¤%§*«,.
..,«*§%¤@#                                          #@¤%§*«,..
...,«*§%¤@                                          @¤%§*«,...
....,«*§%¤                                          ¤%§*«,....
.....,«*§%  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?"                 @¤%§*«,...
..,«*§%¤@#                                          #@¤%§*«,..
.,«*§%¤@##                                          ##@¤%§*«,.
..,«*§%¤@#                                          #@¤%§*«,..
...,«*§%¤@                                          @¤%§*«,...
....,«*§%¤                                          ¤%§*«,....