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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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#¨¨¨¨¨#¨## ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££ ¨¨###¨¨#¨#
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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. #¨¨¨###¨¨¨
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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 ###¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨###¨¨#¨## 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 #¨##¨¨#¨¨¨
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