@§~~:¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨:~~§@
###@£§=~:¨                                          ¨:~=§£@###
###@£§=~:¨                                          ¨:~=§£@###
@££§~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~§££@
##£§===~:¨                                          ¨:~===§£##
##£§~~¨¨¨¨  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?"                 ¨:~=§£@###
#@@££§=~:¨                                          ¨:~=§££@@#
#@§=::¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨::=§@#
@§§=~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~=§§@
###@£§=~:¨                                          ¨:~=§£@###
###@£§=~:¨                                          ¨:~=§£@###