##£@§*\~~. .~~\*§@£##
###@§*\~~. .~~\*§@###
@@*~~..... .....~~*@@
##£@§*\~~. .~~\*§@£##
##£@§*\~~. .~~\*§@£##
#@@*\~.... 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?" .~~~~\§@@£
£@@*\\~... ...~\\*@@£
@§\~~..... .....~~\§@
##£@§*\~~. .~~\*§@£##
@*~~~..... .....~~~*@
#@@@§*\~~. .~~\*§@@@#