.:«†%%§£##                                          ##£§%%†«:.
.:«†%%§£##                                          ##£§%%†«:.
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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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