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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. .....«***¶
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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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¶¶@==«.... ....«==@¶¶
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