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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. .^«*=%&£@#
@£&%=*«^.. ..^«*=%&£@
£&%=*«^... 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?" ........^«
^......... .........^
.......... ..........
^......... .........^
«^........ ........^«
*«^....... .......^«*