%=--¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨--=%
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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?" ¨¨¨--=%%##
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