,,,,,,=%%£ £%%=,,,,,,
,~=^%&£#@# #@#£&%^=~,
,~=^%£#@## ##@#£%^=~,
,~=^%%%%%£ £%%%%%^=~,
,~=^%&£#@@ @@#£&%^=~,
,~=^%&£### 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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