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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.         ..........
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........., 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.                ..........
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.......... 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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.....,«*^¤                                          ¤^*«,.....