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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.               ##£*%\«,..
.,«\%*£###                                          ###£*%\«,.
..,«\%*£##      ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££      ##£*%\«,..
...,«\%*£#                                          #£*%\«,...
....,«\%*£ 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.                ..........
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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 \«,.......
......,«\% AT  ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A %\«,......
.....,«\%*                 DETOUR?"                 *%\«,.....
....,«\%*£                                          £*%\«,....
...,«\%*£#                                          #£*%\«,...
..,«\%*£##                                          ##£*%\«,..
.,«\%*£###                                          ###£*%\«,.
..,«\%*£##                                          ##£*%\«,..