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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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