¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^- -^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ 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?" :-^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^- -^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨^ ^¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨