¨¨¨######¨ #¨#¨¨###¨¨
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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. #¨##¨¨####
###¨##¨### ##¨#¨#¨¨¨#
¨¨##¨##¨¨# 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?" ##¨¨¨¨#¨#¨
¨¨##¨#¨#¨# ¨#¨¨¨#####
¨#¨####### ##¨¨#¨¨¨¨#
###¨¨¨¨¨¨# ¨#¨##¨¨¨##
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨## ###¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨ ¨¨###¨##¨¨