¤^~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~^¤
##¶¤@^;~~¨ ¨~~;^@¤¶##
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#¶@;~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~;@¶#
¶¤@@@^;~~¨ ¨~~;^@@@¤¶
¶¤^~¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨~~;^@¤¶¶#
¤@;~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~;@¤
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