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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 ..^=\§§§£#
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#£§§§\=^.. 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. ......^=\§
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§§§\=^.... 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 ..^=\§§§£#
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#£§§§\=^.. 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 ..^=\§§§£#
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