.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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?" ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.