#*:««-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-««:*#
#@¶#¤*:«-¨ ¨-«:*¤#¶@#
#@¶#¤*:«-¨ ¨-«:*¤#¶@#
#**:-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-:**#
@##¤¤*:«-¨ ¨-«:*¤¤##@
@@¶#¤*:«-¨ 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?" ¨-«:*¤#¶@#
¶¤:::--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--:::¤¶
¶#¤¤:--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--:¤¤#¶
##¶#¤*:«-¨ ¨-«:*¤#¶##
¶¶¶#¤*:«-¨ ¨-«:*¤#¶¶¶
##@¶¤*:«-¨ ¨-«:*¤¶@##