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##§$$†«... ORANGE-CLAD TRAIN-CLIMBER CREW, MOVING ...«†$$§##
###§$$†«.. ALONG THE RUSTY CARGO CARS LIKE SOME ..«†$$§###
##§$$†«... SPECIES OF FERROPHAGE INSECT. UP AND ...«†$$§##
#§$$†«.... DOWN THE TRAIN, CHECKING BOLTS, OILING ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... JOINTS, DRINKING COFFEE, SMOKING .....«†$$§
$$†«...... CIGARETTES. ......«†$$
§$$†«..... .....«†$$§
#§$$†«.... ############################## ....«†$$§#
##§$$†«... ...«†$$§##
###§$$†«.. WE WERE GOING SOUTH THROUGH FINLAND AT ..«†$$§###
##§$$†«... THE TIME, SLEEPING CLOSE TO THE ...«†$$§##
#§$$†«.... FURNACE, WATCHING THE AURORA BOREALIS. ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... TWENTY-SOMETHING MEMBERS OF THE CREW, .....«†$$§
$$†«...... MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR ......«†$$
§$$†«..... LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS .....«†$$§
#§$$†«.... THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND ....«†$$§#
##§$$†«... ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL ...«†$$§##
###§$$†«.. RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ..«†$$§###
##§$$†«... OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH ...«†$$§##
#§$$†«.... SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... .....«†$$§
$$†«...... AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ......«†$$
§$$†«..... WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT .....«†$$§
#§$$†«.... THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY ....«†$$§#
##§$$†«... OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A ...«†$$§##
###§$$†«.. MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ..«†$$§###
##§$$†«... MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT ...«†$$§##
#§$$†«.... ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... .....«†$$§
$$†«...... I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT ......«†$$
§$$†«..... MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING .....«†$$§
#§$$†«.... ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. ....«†$$§#
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#§$$†«.... WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... KARL IS THERE, SMILING AT ME. "HEY .....«†$$§
$$†«...... BOY," HE SAYS, "WANNA HELP ME MAKE A ......«†$$
§$$†«..... CALL?" .....«†$$§
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##§$$†«... AFTER HE'S BROUGHT ME COFFEE, I DIAL ...«†$$§##
###§$$†«.. THE FREQUENCY FROM HIS NOTEBOOK, AND ..«†$$§###
##§$$†«... AFTER A WHILE THERE'S A REPLY IN ...«†$$§##
#§$$†«.... PAN-SLAVIC. KARL LAUGHS AND MAKES A ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE. EVEN THOUGH .....«†$$§
$$†«...... WE BOTH HAVE HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ......«†$$
§$$†«..... AT ALL, BUT I HEAR THE WORD "MISSILE" A .....«†$$§
#§$$†«.... FEW TIMES. ....«†$$§#
##§$$†«... ...«†$$§##
###§$$†«.. I'M ALMOST SNOOZING AGAIN AT THE TIME ..«†$$§###
##§$$†«... KARL PUTS DOWN THE HEADPHONES AND SLAPS ...«†$$§##
#§$$†«.... ME ON MY BACK. "ALLRIGHT BOY. I JUST ....«†$$§#
§$$†«..... SOLD A MISSILE." HE PRACTICALLY BEAMS .....«†$$§
$$†«...... AT ME, TEETH FILED SHARP. "WANNA MAKE A ......«†$$
§$$†«..... DETOUR?" .....«†$$§
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