,----***£& &£***----,
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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?" ##@&£**»-,
,,,,»»***& &***»»,,,,
,-»**£&@## ##@&£**»-,
,-»**£&@## ##@&£**»-,
,-»**&@### ###@&**»-,
,-»**£&@## ##@&£**»-,