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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.               @@@%*===,¨
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¨,=\*%@###                                          ###@%*\=,¨
¨,=\*%@£## 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 ##£@%*\=,¨
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