¶¶££%*^^^¨ ¨^^^*%££¶¶
##¶££%*~^¨ ¨^~*%££¶##
£%~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~%£
¶£**^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^**£¶
###££%*~^¨ ¨^~*%££###
££%~^^^^¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨^^*%%£¶
£%~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~%£
#¶£%%*~~^¨ ¨^~~*%%£¶#
¶£*~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~*£¶
##¶££%*~^¨ ¨^~*%££¶##
££%~^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^~%££