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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 ..:-†§£§##
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##§£§†-:.. 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. .....:-†§£
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##§£§†-:.. KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY ..:-†§£§##
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§£§†-:.... CALL?" ....:-†§£§
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§†-:...... 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. .......:-†
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£§†-:..... 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 ..:-†§£§##
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