,,,#,,#,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
##,,,,,,#,                                          ##########
#,,####,,,                                          ,#########
,,,,##,,#,                                          ,,########
,##,,,,,,,                                          #,,######,
,,,,#####,  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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