,:«:†$$$##                                          ##$$$†:«:,
,,,««†$##¶                                          ¶##$†««,,,
,:«:†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†:«:,
,,,,:«†##¶                                          ¶##†«:,,,,
,:«:†$#¶##  Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving  ##¶#$†:«:,
,,,««††#¶¶ 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 ¶#†«::,,,,
,,,::«:$$¶ We Both Have  Headphones  I Can'T Follow ¶$$:«::,,,
,:«:†$#¶¶# At All, But I Hear The Word "Missile"  A #¶¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#¶##                Few Times.                ##¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#### I'M  Almost Snoozing  Again  At The Time ####$†:«:,
,,,,::$$#¶ Karl  Puts Down The Headphones And Slaps ¶#$$::,,,,
,:«:†$#¶## Me  On My Back.  "Allright Boy.  I  Just ##¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#¶## Sold  A Missile."  He Practically  Beams ##¶#$†:«:,
,,,:«:::$# At Me, Teeth Filed Sharp.  "Wanna Make A #$:::«:,,,
,:«:†$$$#¶                 Detour?"                 ¶#$$$†:«:,
,,:::««:$#                                          #$:««:::,,
,:«:†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†:«:,
,:«:†$#¶##                                          ##¶#$†:«:,
,,,::::$#¶                                          ¶#$::::,,,