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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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†:~-,,,,,, ############################## ,,,,,,-~:†
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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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†:~-,,,,,, 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?" ,,,-~:†£#@
#£†:~-,,,, ,,,,-~:†£#
£†:~-,,,,, 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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