¨¨¨~~=%%@@ @@%%=~~¨¨¨
¨¨~~=%%@@@ @@@%%=~~¨¨
¨~~=%%@@@# #@@@%%=~~¨
¨¨~~=%%@@@ @@@%%=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=%%@@ @@%%=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=%%@ 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?" @@@%%=~~¨¨
¨¨¨~~=%%@@ @@%%=~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~~=%%@ @%%=~~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~~=%% %%=~~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=% %=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~~= =~~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨