,,,,~«/%*§                                          §*%/«~,,,,
,,,~«/%*§£                                          £§*%/«~,,,
,,~«/%*§£#                                          #£§*%/«~,,
,~«/%*§£##                                          ##£§*%/«~,
,,~«/%*§£#                                          #£§*%/«~,,
,,,~«/%*§£  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?"                 ##£§*%/«~,
,,~«/%*§£#                                          #£§*%/«~,,
,,,~«/%*§£                                          £§*%/«~,,,
,,,,~«/%*§                                          §*%/«~,,,,
,,,,,~«/%*                                          *%/«~,,,,,
,,,,~«/%*§                                          §*%/«~,,,,