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,,~:££#@## 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. ##@#££%~,,
,,~:%££#@# #@#££%:~,,
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,,~:%££#@# MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING #@#££%:~,,
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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?" #££££%:~,,
,,~:%££#@# #@#££%:~,,
,,~:%££@## 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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