$*».¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»*$
*».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»*
».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»*
$*».¨¨¨¨¨¨ We Both Have Headphones I Can'T Follow ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»*$
£$*».¨¨¨¨¨ At All, But I Hear The Word "Missile" A ¨¨¨¨¨.»*$£
¶£$*».¨¨¨¨ Few Times. ¨¨¨¨.»*$£¶
@¶£$*».¨¨¨ ¨¨¨.»*$£¶@
#@¶£$*».¨¨ I'M Almost Snoozing Again At The Time ¨¨.»*$£¶@#
##@¶£$*».¨ Karl Puts Down The Headphones And Slaps ¨.»*$£¶@##
#@¶£$*».¨¨ Me On My Back. "Allright Boy. I Just ¨¨.»*$£¶@#
@¶£$*».¨¨¨ Sold A Missile." He Practically Beams ¨¨¨.»*$£¶@
¶£$*».¨¨¨¨ At Me, Teeth Filed Sharp. "Wanna Make A ¨¨¨¨.»*$£¶
£$*».¨¨¨¨¨ Detour?" ¨¨¨¨¨.»*$£
$*».¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.»*$
*».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»*
».¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.»
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨