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¨¨#¨###### SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ¨#¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
¨¨###¨¨¨¨¨ DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ###¨##¨¨##
#¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨ JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING ¨¨¨##¨#¨#¨
####¨##¨¨¨ CIGARETTES. #¨¨#¨#####
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¨¨¨¨##¨### 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 ¨¨¨¨##¨#¨¨
#¨#¨¨¨#¨¨# DETOUR?" ¨¨¨¨#¨###¨
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