,.=^§$£¶##                                          ##¶£$§^=.,
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,.....^^$¶                                          ¶$^^.....,
,,,,,,.^§£                                          £§^.,,,,,,
,.=^§$£¶##                                          ##¶£$§^=.,
,,,,,,=§§£  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?"                 #£§§=...,,
,.=^§$£¶##                                          ##¶£$§^=.,
,,..=§$££¶                                          ¶££$§=..,,
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,.=^§$$$£#                                          #£$$$§^=.,