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##@£§$/».. ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ..»/$§£@##
##@£§$/».. ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ..»/$§£@##
@@££§$/».. SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ..»/$§££@@
@£§$$//».. DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ..»//$$§£@
#@@£§$/».. JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ..»/$§£@@#
£§§$»..... CIGARETTES. .....»$§§£
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#@@£§$/».. WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ..»/$§£@@#
@@@£§$/».. THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ..»/$§£@@@
@@@£§$/».. FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ..»/$§£@@@
#@@£§$/».. TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, ..»/$§£@@#
@£§/...... 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 ..»/$$$§@@
##@@§$/».. ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ..»/$§@@##
@@@£§$/».. ..»/$§£@@@
@@££§$/».. I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ..»/$§££@@
##@£§$/».. MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING ..»/$§£@##
£$//...... ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ......//$£
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@£§$/»»».. WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ..»»»/$§£@
#@@£§$/».. KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ..»/$§£@@#
@£§//»»... BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ...»»//§£@
@@£§///».. CALL?" ..»///§£@@
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#@@£§$/».. AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ..»/$§£@@#
@@@£§$/».. THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ..»/$§£@@@
£§$»...... AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ......»$§£
##@@£§$».. PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ..»$§£@@##
@§//»».... REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH ....»»//§@
@@@£§$/».. WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ..»/$§£@@@
@@§/...... AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A ....../§@@
@§$$$»»... 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 ..»/$$§§£@
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