¨,~/$%&&££ ££&&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@# #@£&%$/~,¨
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¨,~/$%&£@# #@£&%$/~,¨
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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, &%%/~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~$$%£@ MOST OF WHICH WERE MECHANICS, OR @£%$$~¨¨¨¨
¨,~/$%&£## LOADERS, WITH LARGE AND HAIRY HANDS ##£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@# THAT COULD SWALLOW MY ENTIRE BODY. AND #@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@# ME FEATURING AS THE CUTE AND ASOCIAL #@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&@## RADIO OPERATOR, STATIONED IN THE BACK ##@&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@@ OF THE KILOMETER-LONG TRAIN, WHICH @@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$&£@## SERVED ME GOOD AND WELL. ##@£&$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@# #@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£## AND THEN ONE NIGHT, THERE'S A MISSILE. ##£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@# WE WOULD ROUTINELY PICK UP NEW CARS AT #@£&%$/~,¨
¨¨¨,,/$$%& THE TAIL, AND DROP SOME OFF, AS A WAY &%$$/,,¨¨¨
¨,~/$%&£@@ OF EARNING SOME EXTRA MONEY. BUT A @@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£## MISSILE, AND APPEARING SILENTLY IN THE ##£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@@ MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AT THAT? NOT @@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@# ENTIRELY... COMFORTABLE. #@£&%$/~,¨
¨¨¨¨,/%%£@ @£%%/,¨¨¨¨
¨,~/$%&£@# I CALL IT IN ON THE WALKIE-TALKIE. NOT #@£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£@@ MANY OTHERS AWAKE, THEY KNOW NOTHING @@£&%$/~,¨
¨¨¨¨,//$%£ ABOUT IT, AND APPEAR CONCERNED AS WELL. £%$//,¨¨¨¨
¨,~/$%&£## ##£&%$/~,¨
¨,~/$%&£££ ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ £££&%$/~,¨
¨¨¨,~///%& &%///~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,,/$& WHEN I FALL AWAKE IN THE AFTERNOON, &$/,,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~/%%& 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?" ££%/~~,¨¨¨
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¨,~/$%&@## ##@&%$/~,¨
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