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#*%\«^.... ....^«\%*#
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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. .^«\%*#£##
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£#*%\«^... ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ...^«\%*#£
#*%\«^.... ....^«\%*#
*%\«^..... 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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^......... .........^
.......... ..........
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