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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?" ¨¨¨#####¨#
######¨#¨# #¨¨#¨¨¨¨##
¨¨¨¨¨¨#### 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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