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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. ...,~^*£¤¶
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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. ...,~^*£¤¶
¤£*^~,.... ....,~^*£¤
£*^~,..... 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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