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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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##@¤£%=~,, @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ ,,~=%£¤@##
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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. ,,,,,~=%¤¤
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##@¤£%=~,, 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. ,,,~==£££¤
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¤¤¤£=,,,,, 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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