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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?" ;»-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-» »-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨- -¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-» »-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨