##£&$%^~:,                                          ,:~^%$&£##
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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 ,,,,,~%%%&
##£&$%^~:, ME FEATURING  AS  THE  CUTE AND  ASOCIAL ,:~^%$&£##
££$%%%^~:, RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED  IN  THE  BACK ,:~^%%%$££
##£&$%^~:,    OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH    ,:~^%$&£##
##£&$%^~:,         SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL.         ,:~^%$&£##
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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 ,,,:~^^^%&
###&$%^~:,                  CALL?"                  ,:~^%$&###
##£&$%^~:,                                          ,:~^%$&£##
£$%~~,,,,, AFTER  HE'S BROUGHT ME  COFFEE,  I  DIAL ,,,,,~~%$£
##£&$%^~:, THE  FREQUENCY  FROM HIS  NOTEBOOK,  AND ,:~^%$&£##
###£&$%^~: AFTER  A  WHILE   THERE'S   A  REPLY  IN :~^%$&£###
##£&$%^~:, PAN-SLAVIC.  KARL  LAUGHS  AND  MAKES  A ,:~^%$&£##
£$$%^^^~:, REPLY IN THE SAME LANGUAGE.  EVEN THOUGH ,:~^^^%$$£
##£&$%^~:, WE  BOTH HAVE  HEADPHONES I CAN'T FOLLOW ,:~^%$&£##
&%^~,,,,,, 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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