..^«\$%£##                                          ##£%$\«^..
.^«\$%£###                                          ###£%$\«^.
..^«\$%£##                                          ##£%$\«^..
...^«\$%£#                                          #£%$\«^...
....^«\$%£                                          £%$\«^....
.....^«\$%  Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving  %$\«^.....
......^«\$ 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 ##£%$\«^..
...^«\$%£#                 Detour?"                 #£%$\«^...
....^«\$%£                                          £%$\«^....
.....^«\$%                                          %$\«^.....
......^«\$                                          $\«^......
.......^«\                                          \«^.......
........^«                                          «^........