##@£$*:=^,                                          ,^=:*$£@##
££**=^,,,,                                          ,,,,^=**££
@@£***:=^,                                          ,^=:***£@@
#£$$::^^,,                                          ,,^^::$$£#
##@£$*:=^,                                          ,^=:*$£@##
#££$*=^,,,  Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving  ,,,^=*$££#
@@$*=^,,,, Along The  Rusty  Cargo  Cars  Like Some ,,,,^=*$@@
#@$$*=,,,, Species Of  Ferrophage  Insect.  Up  And ,,,,=*$$@#
@$::=,,,,, Down The Train, Checking  Bolts,  Oiling ,,,,,=::$@
@@@£$*:=^,     Joints, Drinking Coffee, Smoking     ,^=:*$£@@@
£*::=,,,,,               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.                ,,,,^:*$$@
£$::^,,,,,                                          ,,,,,^::$£
£$$$$*:=^, I'M  Almost Snoozing  Again  At The Time ,^=:*$$$$£
££*=,,,,,, Karl Puts Down The  Headphones And Slaps ,,,,,,=*££
##@£$*:=^, Me  On My Back.  "Allright  Boy. I  Just ,^=:*$£@##
##@£$*:=^, Sold  A  Missile."  He Practically Beams ,^=:*$£@##
###@£$:=^, At Me, Teeth Filed  Sharp. "Wanna Make A ,^=:$£@###
#@@£$*:=^,                 Detour?"                 ,^=:*$£@@#
#££$$*:=^,                                          ,^=:*$$££#
#@£$:=,,,,                                          ,,,,=:$£@#
##@£$*:=^,                                          ,^=:*$£@##
@@£$$*:=^,                                          ,^=:*$$£@@
###@£$*:=,                                          ,=:*$£@###