###@&£^~-. .-~^£&@###
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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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#&%^^-.... @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ....-^^%&#
##@&£%^~-. .-~^%£&@##
@£^^~~~-.. 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. ...--~%£&&
&£££%^^~-. .-~^^%£££&
##@&£%^~-. 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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