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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. #££†*~,,,,
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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 #&£†~~.,,,
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