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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. @@£//=¨¨¨¨
¨~=/*£#@@# #@@#£*/=~¨
¨¨¨~==*##@ 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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