#@&††~....                                          ....~††&@#
###&$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$&###
##@&$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$&@##
##@&$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$&@##
&$$::^....                                          ....^::$$&
##@&$†:~^.  Orange-Clad Train-Climber Crew, Moving  .^~:†$&@##
##@&$†:~^. Along  The Rusty  Cargo  Cars Like  Some .^~:†$&@##
#&&†~~~^.. 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 ......~†&&
##@&$†:~^.                  Call?"                  .^~:†$&@##
@&&$†::~^.                                          .^~::†$&&@
&$†††~.... After  He'S Brought  Me  Coffee,  I Dial ....~†††$&
##@&$†:~^. The Frequency  From  His  Notebook,  And .^~:†$&@##
###@&$†:~^ After   A  While  There'S  A   Reply  In ^~:†$&@###
##@&$†:~^. Pan-Slavic.  Karl  Laughs  And  Makes  A .^~:†$&@##
#&$†††:~^. Reply In The Same Language.  Even Though .^~:†††$&#
&&$†:~~~^. We  Both  Have Headphones I Can'T Follow .^~~~:†$&&
##@&$†:~^. At All, But I Hear The Word "Missile"  A .^~:†$&@##
#&&&$†:~^.                Few Times.                .^~:†$&&&#
@&&&$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$&&&@
##@&$†:~^. I'M  Almost Snoozing  Again At  The Time .^~:†$&@##
##@&$†:~^. Karl Puts Down  The Headphones And Slaps .^~:†$&@##
##@&$†:~^. Me  On My  Back. "Allright  Boy. I  Just .^~:†$&@##
##@&$†:~^. Sold  A  Missile." He  Practically Beams .^~:†$&@##
@@$::^.... At Me, Teeth Filed Sharp. "Wanna  Make A ....^::$@@
##@&$†:~^.                 Detour?"                 .^~:†$&@##
##@&$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$&@##
#@@&$†:~^.                                          .^~:†$&@@#
###@&†:~^.                                          .^~:†&@###
#&&†:^....                                          ....^:†&&#
#&$††~^^..                                          ..^^~††$&#