¤¤¤¤//~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~//¤¤¤¤
#¤¤¤¤*/«~¨ ¨~«/*¤¤¤¤#
¤*«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«*¤
###¤¤*/«~¨ ¨~«/*¤¤###
###¤¤*/«~¨ ¨~«/*¤¤###
###¤¤*/«~¨ 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?" ¨~«/*¤¤###
#¤*/~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~/*¤#
###¤¤*/«~¨ ¨~«/*¤¤###
###¤¤*/«~¨ ¨~«/*¤¤###
¤¤/~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~/¤¤
#¤¤¤¤*/«~¨ ¨~«/*¤¤¤¤#