#¶&§*:»,.. ..,»:*§&¶#
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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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#¶&§*:»,.. ..,»:*§&¶#
¶&§*:»,... ...,»:*§&¶
&§*:»,.... ....,»:*§&